Recruiting Report: (2018) Clayton Christian
Clayton Christian is a 6’3 small forward from Olympia, Washington that when locked in has a chance to be a very good player. Playing on Varsity all 4 years for the North Thurston Rams where he has been the best player on the floor has given him the opportunity to show off how versatile he is. Clayton has the physical tools to be a go to weapon. He has played with Pioneer Tech this spring and bulked up his upper body since we last saw him. When he lets the game come to him and not over dribble or be passive he is effective. Clayton has a smoothness to his game. Makes plays in the open floor and likes to use his upper body strength to finish at the rim. Excellent looking form to his jump shot and 3 ball which enable’s him to shoot at a high percentage. Clayton could be an excellent small forward prospect!
I spoke with him about his experience playing on the grassroots circuit this summer with Pioneer Tech.
“It went well. We have a lot of skilled players. We compete well together and make each other better every day. We are looking to improve when we come back to our school teams and we come back home. I think I played very well utilizing my speed and strength. Once I got used to my players I started playing even better.”
What areas of his game really stand out?
“My pull up jump shot has gotten a lot better along with a quicker release. I’ve gotten a lot better at changing direction driving to the hoop, ball handing and my defensive footwork.”
Clayton spoke about his senior year and his goals for himself and the team.
“This year is my last year and I want to go all the way to the Tacoma Dome where the competition is at its best. First we need to really gel as a team and play more at our tempo which is getting the ball off the glass and pushing it up the court. Me personally, I want to continue to be the vocal leader of the team. I know this year my team is going to count me to be the go to guy more consistently throughout the game and that will consist of me playing with a high motor all game long.”
Clayton has had some college interest mainly JUCO programs. This young man is definitely a D2-D3 recruit and schools should be on the look out for him this season.