Undersized Malcolm Clayton gives Central Catholic boys big lift

Malcolm Clayton snatched the rebound, clinging to his prize as Kennedy’s interior defense threatened to swallow him alive.

The Central Catholic sophomore tossed the ball back out to the perimeter, where the Raiders’ fleet of guards waited to launch the next wave.

In a season defined by its guard play, the Central Catholic boys basketball team is getting a big lift from its unheralded post in the Raiders’ pursuit of the CIF State Division IV championship.

Clayton scored eight of his 10 points in the first half of the Raiders’ 86-61 victory over Kennedy of Richmond in the first round of the regional tournament on Wednesday. The 6-foot-3 forward set the tone with the team’s first six points, then triggered a 12-0 spurt in the third quarter with a layup.

Central Catholic saw its 41-38 lead balloon to 53-38 in about two minutes to put Kennedy into a tailspin.

The second-seeded Raiders (26-5) will host No. 7 Santa Cruz (22-7) in the second round on Saturday.

The game will tip off at 6 p.m.

“We’re a team, so we just find the open man,” Clayton said. “Tonight, I just happened to be the open man. They were leaving me, and when they do, I got to take that opportunity. My teammates are awesome, so I got to give credit to my teammates for finding me.”

Central Catholic coach Mike Wilson believed the Raiders could attack the Eagles’ interior with Clayton, 6-7 senior Peter Hamilton and reserve James Bland, a big-bodied 6-6 sophomore.

He was right.

Central Catholic outworked the long-and-athletic Eagles on the glass, building a 2-to-1 rebounding advantage. Central Catholic pulled down 46 rebounds, including 16 on the offensive end to extend possessions.

Hamilton had seven points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots. Clayton had four offensive rebounds and finished with six total, and Bland had six points and five rebounds off the bench.

“We knew we could get to the basket,” Wilson said. “We knew our post guys would be open just off the film we watched.”

Clayton welcomed the workload. He was shut out during the Raiders’ thrilling 47-46 triumph over West Campus in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV final.

The title was the Raiders’ first since 1988, and the thrill of victory masked the fact that Clayton was largely outplayed by West Campus’ Isaiah Bates, a 6-6 senior with springs in his sneakers.

Clayton vowed to be more active on the low block against Kennedy, wedging himself into the tight spaces for either a rebound or shot.

“My game plan was really to play my hardest, go to the boards, and when I’m open, try to get ball,” Clayton said. “If I’m not open, I relocate and try to get ball in the paint or somewhere around that area.”

For Clayton, the 2015-16 season has been one of uneven battles and lessons learned. He was called up to the varsity as a freshman for the Raiders’ playoff run but didn’t play.

“At the beginning of the season, I was unsure of what to do. Where do I go? Where do I need to be on the court? Now I’m figuring out this is where I need to be to put myself in the best position to score or get the ball,” he said. “I just got to play defense and rebound and my offense will come with that. I feel like I’ve gotten more confident with that.”

The monsters of the Valley Oak League helped expedite his development. Truth be told, there was nowhere for the undersized underclassman to hide.

Undefeated league champion Weston Ranch features 6-10 senior Anthony Booker, bound for Cal State Monterey Bay in the fall, and runner-up Manteca boasts historic height. The Buffaloes start three players 6-8 or taller: center Anand Hundal (6-10), forward Kenny Wooten (6-8) and guard Tydus Verhoeven (6-8). All three have been touted as Division I-caliber recruits. Wooten has signed with Nevada.

Central Catholic went 0-4 against Weston Ranch and Manteca to finish third. All three VOL teams played in a section final – Weston Ranch beat Manteca in D-III – and received top seeds in the CIF Northern California playoffs.

No. 1 Weston Ranch and No. 2 Manteca enjoyed first-round byes in the D-III tournament and will host Bishop O’Dowd and Albany, respectively, on Saturday.

Clayton believes those battles – with players older, taller, heavier and stronger – have given him the tools to take on all comers this postseason.

Clayton is averaging 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game by doing the dirty work. He scrapes and claws for rebounds, muscles up the occasional shot and generally wrestles for positioning with the biggest players on the floor.

“Weston Ranch, that was one of our toughest games of the year. Manteca with Kenny Wooten and Tydus (Verhoeven), they’re all 6-8. When they come down the paint, you know you need to find a body as fast as you can or you’re getting dunked on,” Clayton said. “You just have to box out and find a man, and I think that really helped me. It prepared me for where I am now, being able to rebound like I have.”

This story was originally published March 11, 2016 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Undersized Malcolm Clayton gives Central Catholic boys big lift."