Northwest Mississippi Community College sophomore forward Dre’Kalo Clayton will be continuing his collegiate basketball career right where he started, at the Division I level, signing with Austin Peay on Tuesday.
“My visit was great and I feel like the coaching staff at Austin Peay is very genuine,” Clayton said. “I’m just ready to get it going all over again. I’m very thankful to coach Skelton and coach Oakley for their help getting me back to the Division I level.”
In his only season in a Ranger uniform, Clayton played a pivotal role in the starting lineup for head coach Bubba Skelton and started in 24 of the team’s 26 games during the 2015-16 season. He averaged 10.5 points per game and tallied a season-high 20 points in games against Holmes and against Jones County in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament.
In addition to 13 double-digit scoring performances, the Orlando, Fla., native also averaged 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game and shot a team-best 39 percent from the 3-point line. Clayton finished the season with 122 defensive rebounds and 45 three-pointers made, leading the team in both categories.
Prior to his stint at Northwest, Clayton played in 28 games at the University of South Florida as a redshirt freshman, averaging 7.7 minutes per game. A 3-star power forward out of Orlando Christian Prep, Clayton had chosen USF over Florida, Georgia, Auburn, Temple and USC among others.
Led by longtime head coach Dave Loos, Austin Peay earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament by winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament this past season. The Governors fell to Kansas in the first round and finished the 2015-16 season at 18-18 overall.
Courtesy of Northwest Sports Information
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