Being able to practice with NCP Top 40 seniors Juan Anderson and Roderick Bobbitt would have its obvious benefits. But another benefit is that they can come up with your nickname. For sophomore small forward Derrick Clayton, his Castro Valley teammates gave him the nickname "Little KD" because he reminds them of Oklahoma City Thunder Kevin Durant.
At 6-foot-5 and 182 pounds, Clayton is a finesse player who also is not afraid to take the ball to the rim and initiate contact. His best move is his pull back through the legs, hesitation dribble drive by, or pop. This move has been successful for him because he is able to survey the floor while he is in his hesitation mode, and it gives him time to decide whether or not to shoot, pass, or drive.
Clayton reminds his teammates of Kevin Durant but he tries to also emulate Lebron James. Clayton has been playing basketball since fourth grade, was called up to varsity at the end of last season, and has been a starter as a sophomore in the current year. He worked hard on his overall game especially his shooting during this past summer as he played for his Oakland Rebels 15U team.
"Derrick is a 6-5 swing man that can hit the three ball, take guys off the dribble, and finish in traffic. He is also a strong rebounder. Derrick has a scorer's mentality and high skill level," said Oakland Rebels Coach Ray Young. "Derrick's feel for the game is real good for a young player and he competes at a high level. Once he gets stronger, I look for him to become a strong and explosive perimeter player. With that being said, hard work has to be put in at the gym and in the weight room."
Clayton has a 3.6 GPA as English is his best subject. He wants to attend a program with strong academics, preferably on the west coast, and a good coach.
Castro Valley went 31-2 and was able to reach the Northern California title game. Marquette commit Anderson was a big reason for the team's success. Clayton will have the chance on replacing Anderson.
When asked about this challenge of replacing Anderson and playing varsity, Clayton responds, "I'm going to be better than him, and I'm saying that humbly but confidently. I learned that varsity is way more physical than previous levels of basketball. I also learned that size is a factor. Practicing with Juan in the Oakland Rebels' practices also has paid off. I have also accepted the challenges that are presented in front of me by my coaches, have taken them in stride, and that will get me better."
His individual goal this year is to make an immediate impact on varsity by averaging at least 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. He also wants to show the coaching staff that he is going to lead the team to big things through his leadership in practice and his performance on the court. The team goal is to not fall off to far from this past season's pace.
In the early returns of the season, Castro Valley is 5-2 with close losses to NCP Top 20 teams Bishop O'Dowd and Deer Valley. The Hayward Area Athletic League is wide open this year. Despite having a young team replacing Anderson, Bobbitt, and Chris Read, Castro Valley could still finish in the upper half of the league.
Clayton will also be teamed with sophomore point guard Jalen McFerren. Expect "Little KD" to come up big for Castro Valley in order to have a solid season.
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