If Nique Clifford could’ve seen how the first three years of his collegiate career would unfold, he would have smashed the crystal ball he was looking into.

Coming out of The Vanguard School, Clifford was ranked as a 4-star recruit by 247Sports.

“(He) should be high-major starter but has easy NBA upside given extreme trajectory entering college,” recruiting analyst Josh Gershon wrote about Clifford after he committed to play at Colorado.

In his final season at Vanguard, Clifford led his team in every statistical category, averaging 24.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, six assists, 3.4 steals and 2.7 blocks per game. Clifford’s dominance helped his team to a 22-3 record, which saw him named as the 2020 Colorado Gatorade State Player of the Year.

Things with the Buffs, however, didn’t quite pan out for the 6-foot-6 wing. In his three years at CU, Clifford averaged just 5.4 points on five attempts per game, shooting just below 40%.

Clifford, once touted as an intriguing NBA prospect, had fallen out of favor. So in 2023, he hopped into the portal looking for a new beginning.

“I went through some very hard times,” Clifford said. “(I) struggled with my mental health just trying to figure out what was going on, but it helped me to be where I am right now. I always say that. It was a hard time, and I didn’t really see the vision of what was happening. I was asking, ‘Why me?’”

Although those times proved to be a temporary setback in the long run, Clifford’s struggles to find himself on the court followed him off it as well.

What Clifford failed to realize was, while he was playing for CU, his numbers may have stayed stagnant, but he was growing both as a person and a player. From the weight room to adjusting to the speed of the collegiate game and everything else his former coach Tad Boyle was telling him, he was getting better.

“I didn’t really see the bigger picture,” Clifford said. “Once I made the move, it really just opened my eyes to how much I grew being at (CU). I didn’t really see that when I was there, but it helped me grow so much going through those mental struggles, and I feel like I’m so much more prepared to handle any adversity that I face in the future.”

Adversity isn’t something Clifford has had to face much at Colorado State — at least not in the traditional sense. In his very first season as a Ram, Clifford became the second option to Isaiah Stevens — a spot he flourished in.

In his first season in green and gold, Clifford completely reinvented who he was as a basketball player. He averaged collegiate career highs across the board, posting 12.2 points per game and leading the team in rebounds with 7.6 per game.

That season wasn’t just about the breakout of Clifford on the court but how he became a fan favorite for who he was off the court. 

“He’s one of the goofiest guys on the team,” guard Jalen Lake said. “He’s really laid back; he’s funny; he cares about his teammates. He’s one of the most unselfish guys on the team. He wants to see everybody embrace their role and help people as much as possible.”

Last season, Clifford’s contributions helped CSU reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2022 and achieve its first such win since 2013.

This season, Clifford has been tasked with taking the reins of the offense and being the leader of a team, something he hasn’t done since high school. Despite the newly added pressure Clifford now faces — leading the very first team in the post-Stevens era — he hasn’t changed who he is. He’s still the joker of the team, and his constant smile and laughs are oftentimes infectious.

“He’s just an unbelievable human being,” Medved said about Clifford post-game after he finished with a career-high 31 points against Tennessee State. “When you’re around him, it just brightens up your day, and he does that for everybody.”

Clifford’s reign as the No. 1 option for CSU may just be beginning, but he’s already making a massive impact on the guys around him. In that Tennessee State game, first-year Kyle Jorgensen made some costly mistakes late in the game, which contributed to the Tigers’ ability to tie things up.

Instead of going to the bench frustrated, Clifford used that opportunity to lift up Jorgensen and give him some words of encouragement. That translated to Jorgensen leading the team with seven points in overtime and securing the win for CSU.

“(The leadership) is something I’ve been big on,” Clifford said. “Just trying to be there for my teammates, score when I need to score, distribute when I need to distribute and just make the right plays.”

The leadership Clifford has brought this season hasn’t been lost on his teammates either.

“He’s been really stepping up as a vocal leader,” Lake said. “He’s done a really good job of that.”

Alongside his strides as a leader, Clifford has been working on his body. He said he added 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason. 

Adding that weight to his frame has proved incredibly useful. Alongside Stevens, CSU also lost Patrick Cartier and Joel Scott, the Rams’ two post-up guys. For Clifford, becoming the leader of the herd meant changing his game a little, too. So alongside filling in some of those post-up opportunities left by Scott and Cartier, Clifford has to do a ton of other things.

“You’re seeing him post up a little bit more,” Medved said. “You’re seeing him score in the lane more than he did before. He’s got opportunities to play in ball screens (and) more in other situations where he’s looking to score, but he’s also creating for others.”

All those things have shot Clifford up the ranks in the eyes of NBA scouts. Each home game, more and more scouts from different organizations show up to watch him.

After declaring for the draft last season, Clifford got the opportunity to talk to some of those scouts along with general managers and coaches of NBA teams. That opportunity gave him an idea of what he needed to do in order to become the player he dreamt of becoming.

“I went through the process and had a lot of really good experiences just playing against the best guys across the country and the world,” Clifford said. “Just getting to compete, go out there and showcase myself (and) my abilities — I saw some flaws that I could continue to grow on.”

Clifford said his agent got a lot of feedback about what his projections were. He said it could have gone either way, but he ultimately decided to come back to the Rams for his final season.

As an athletic 3-and-D wing, Clifford’s build is a highly sought-after commodity in the NBA. However, because last year was just his first season at CSU, GMs were likely skeptical of his consistency. In an 82-game regular season, consistency is key.

“Consistency is huge,” Clifford said. “The best players in the world — they’re consistent. They’re able to be great every night. It’s easy to have a good game here and there. A big thing for me is just trying to be the best I can be each night for my team to help us win games.”

Clifford showcased that consistency already, posting two double-doubles in four games while averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds and three assists per game, all while shooting 63% from the field.

While Clifford has always had talent, that level of play is something Medved had no clue he would be getting out of his star guard after the transfer in.

“I always thought he had talent and had a belief in him,” Medved said. “But I’d be lying if I told you (I) know for sure how it’s going to manifest. But the one thing that you do know about him is he loves basketball. He freaking loves this. He’s a livid guy — (playing basketball) is his life. You can’t get him out of the gym. He’s a competitor.”

That spirit, willed by Clifford’s desire to make basketball his living, is what has driven him to become the version of himself that is capable of leading a Division I team.

After a year of little draft buzz for Clifford, Sports Illustrated predicted that he will be drafted in the first round. In his seven seasons as the CSU head coach, Medved has helped develop two guys who can play at the NBA level. Clifford will likely be his third.

“You look at his game, he’s got length and athleticism,” Medved said on why he thinks Clifford will be an NBA player. “Those two things are really important at the next level. He’s also got defensive versatility.”

Along with all that, Medved mentioned how good of a rebounder he is at the wing position along with how consistent of a shooter he’s become.

That athleticism Medved talked about makes itself very clear on game days when Clifford gets a breakaway chance. Clifford is one of the best in-game dunkers in the Mountain West — and maybe in the nation. As his NBA dreams start to culminate, Clifford has a big dream about who he wants to poster when he gets there.

“I would assume most people would probably say (Victor Wembanyama),” Clifford said. “If you dunk it on him, that’s probably the best shot blocker in the league. You’re going to earn a little bit of respect if you dunk on that dude, so I would probably say him.”

Just two years ago, the conversation about who Clifford would want to put on a poster would have never even happened.

With Clifford now bearing the torch for the CSU men’s basketball squad, things have changed. The work he’s put in to be a better player, leader and person are finally paying off as he chases his dreams of playing in the big leagues.

“I ultimately decided I wanted to come back, get better and prove myself for another year,” Clifford said. “Because my time at CU wasn’t great, I wanted to prove that what I did last year wasn’t a fluke.”

Reach Damon Cook at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @dwcook2001.