Recruiting Report: Malcolm Clayton (2018)
A 5-foot-11 point guard from Fort Dodge, Malcolm Clayton has been one of the state’s better point guards for two years now, and has one final season to showcase exactly how good he can be.
He’s got some college interest coming in, and it was a strong junior season followed by a successful 17U with Kingdom Hoops Elite season that catalyzed the recruitment.
“The main school that’s been talking to me is Iowa Lakes,” said Clayton. “Also Bellevue, Grand View, and I’ve had a D2 this summer that interested, from St Louis. Those are the main ones I’ve heard from.”
Clayton’s older brother, Malcolm, attends Iowa Lakes Community College, and several other recent Fort Dodge standouts have called the Estherville, Iowa JuCo home.
“I think that could be a good option, a lot of Fort Dodge people have gone there the last few years, including my brother,” said Clayton. “It’s a good option if I want to go higher. And then after two years , if I don’t get a higher offer, I could still go NAIA if I wanted to.”
This summer, while playing with Kingdom Hoops Elite, Clayton says his shooting and athleticism improved.
“I would say the biggest thing I’ve improved on is my range, just being able to shoot the 3 from deeper, and also my athletic ability and just being able to jump higher,” he said.
Tonight, with the Dodgers’ season starting against state title hopefuls Valley, Clayton will showcase that improved shooting ability and explosiveness.
He’ll also take the reins as the team’s leader, both his vocal leadership and his production on the floor.
“This season, I’ve just got to learn to be more assertive on offense. Sometimes, last year, I would take breaks and just let my brother take over, but this season, I don’t really have that luxury,” said Clayton.
“I just got to make sure that I’m always on top of my game, and always looking for my shots, and to set up my teammates. And I’ll need to be more of a vocal leader.”
As far as the outlook for the Dodgers this season: well, bringing Malcolm Clayton back certainly makes them a threat each night out.
“We could shock some people, we have five guards coming back that are really good,” said Clayton. “But we’re just so short, we have to make sure we press, trap, run and push the ball all game.”