Recruiting Report: Clay Gayman (2018)
Class of 2018 power forward Clay Gayman came to St. Louis last weekend looking for a little recognition at the Adidas All-American Tournament. The 6’5″ forward from Nevada High accomplished that task and then some as he became the breakthrough…
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Continue ReadingClass of 2018 power forward Clay Gayman came to St. Louis last weekend looking for a little recognition at the Adidas All-American Tournament.
The 6’5″ forward from Nevada High accomplished that task and then some as he became the breakthrough player in the tournament. Gayman averaged more than 20 points a game in leading the KC Pacers to the championship of the 16U Division. Gayman was the Prep Hoops Missouri Most Valuable Player of the 16U Tournament.
“I’m from a small town, so a lot of people don’t know about me,” Gayman said. “Coming from a small town, I feel I have something to prove every time I step out on the court.”
Gayman gave the folks in St. Louis more than an eyeful as he dominating the tournament throughout the weekend with his blend of power, athleticism and versatile post play. He was special in the Pacers 56-52 victory over host Gateway in the semifinals. Gayman scored 28 points and grabbed 20 rebounds as the Pacers pulled the big upset.
Gayman displayed a full arsenal of offensive play from the high post to the low post in the victory. He scored in the low post off a variety of moves and stepped outside to knock down 15 footers from the high post.
He threw down two emphatic dunks that really got the crowd going. The first dunk came when he caught the ball in the low post and executed a drop step and one-handed dunk off one dribble. The second one came when he caught the ball on the baseline, used a shot fake to get his defender off the floor then drove the baseline and threw down a one-hand reverse dunk that got the gym going in a frenzy.
Gayman’s play was nothing new from what he did during his sophomore year at Nevada, when he averaged 20 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game. Much of his damage was done in the low post, but he hopes to expand his game during the summer to show that he can also operate on the perimeter.
“I still feel I have a lot to work on to get better,” Gayman said. “I need to work on my ball handling and outside shooting and perimeter defense. Hopefully, I can get some looks from some colleges.”
Gayman will have a chance to play on an even bigger stage during the upcoming evaluation period as he will run with the Gateway Basketball Club at The Gauntlet, which is part of the Adidas Uprising summer circuit.