Forever a Bobcat: AJ Clayton
3/9/2025 11:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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ATHENS, Ohio — Senior AJ Clayton (Roseville, Ohio) was 17 years-old when he checked in a regular season game for the Bobcats the first time.
It was November 2021 and Capital traveled to Ohio for an exhibition. The game was tied in the first six minutes of the game as Clayton was sent to the table. He could feel his heartbeat in his ears and the bright lights made him squint a little while he sat awaiting his turn.
Within seconds of stepping on the court, Clayton sank a jumpshot and The Convo erupted.
"I remember one of the times I subbed out towards the end of that game, Coach (Jeff) Boals looked at me, and he said 'They're gonna love you.'"
Boals was right. After four years in green and white, Clayton has become a mainstay for the Bobcats and a cherished member of the community.
"It's hard to believe four years has gone by that quick. When you get into coaching, you see the growth of people on and off the court and ultimately, and it's been a fun process to watch him grow through the ups and downs. Coming here as a 17 year old young boy to where he is right now, he's made leaps and bounds," Boals said.
AJ Clayton blocks a shot in his first game in The Convo. Ohio took on Capital in an exhibition in 2021.
Have you met AJ?
Now, Clayton looks back on his first season and chuckles. However, navigating college life after he reclassified to be a freshman in the summer of 2021 was terrifying at the time.
Clayton couldn't even sign his own scholarships without a parent present, and he was expected to learn how to live on his own while also defending some of the best players in the league. The task was taller than anyone he'd guard that season.
The Bobcats were his teammates — brothers even — but that didn't stop them from giving him a real adjustment to college basketball. At 6-foot-8, Clayton was put up against Ben Vander Plas and Jason Carter in practice, and they did not let him have it easy.
"It took me a while to kind of figure it all out. The speed of the game is just so different. Having a shot clock makes everything so different. The physicality and athleticism, like everything's just so much different. It was something I'd never experienced," he said.
Rough days at practice prepared him for his first scrimmage, though, against then-Group of Five member, Cincinnati.
AJ Clayton and Jason Carter pose for promo photos in the fall of 2021.
Clayton typically does not experience nervousness. He's got a level head and a dry sense of humor that can lighten a situation. Yet, all of that was lost on him as he slipped on his jersey to face the Bearcats.
"Coach (Lee) Martin and I had this thing where, whenever we were going through pregame, like seeing the coaches and stuff, he would open up his pocket, and he'd say, 'Put all your nerves in there.'"
A simple act, but it was one that carried Clayton through his first year with Ohio and the tasks that came with it. From flying for the first time on a trip to Baton Rouge to face LSU — a game he played 16 minutes of — to giving presentations in class, Clayton learned how to swallow his fear.
Clayton ended the season 40-of-94 from the field in 340 minutes played. He had the fourth-best 3-point percentage on the team (.426), and he felt comfortable in his own skin.
You can't rush these things
The forward progressed in his next two seasons. He played every game his sophomore season and made 16 starts in that time frame. With 21 total blocks and an average of 7.8 points per game, Clayton solidified his role on both sides of the ball.
He earned a full-time starting role in the 2023-24 season, in which he played 33 games. Twice he matched his jersey number for a career-high 23 points, at Northern Illinois and again at Buffalo.
Clayton's talent shined on the road that year, even as far as the Bahamas. He recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds against George Washington in the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship in late November.
"A lot of games stick out to me throughout my career," Clayton said. "Nothing was better than those two trips, though. The bonding we had on the Spain trip, and then the fun we had the Bahamas when we went last year."
AJ Clayton goes for a layup during his sophomore season in November 2022.
In 23 games in his junior season, Clayton tallied double-digit points. With Martin's help, he'd fixed his shot to have the sixth-best field goal percentage in the Mid-American Conference (49.6%) and sixth-best 3-point percentage (40.1%). He also had the second-most blocks in the league, 58, behind 2024 NBA Draft pick Enrique Freeman.
For his contributions, Clayton was Honorable Mention All-MAC.
In that timeframe, the Roseville, Ohio, native continued to develop off the court as well. He moved into an apartment and learned how to take care of himself. Clayton claims that although he's never shrunk his laundry, he's set off the smoke alarm a few times.
Sometimes tasks took a call to his parents, but knowing he had their support made things easier.
"I was thrown into the fire, especially when I moved into an apartment, and learning how to cook. It was a lot of YouTube on how to cook something, a lot of texting, calls to my parents to figure out 'Is this cooked enough? Am I gonna die if I eat this?'" Clayton said with a laugh.
Luckily, he learned when chicken is done. It just took a little time for him to feel confident in his abilities.
Legendary
When he exited his home court for the final time on March 4, a deep breath skirted across Clayton's lips. He didn't have the season he dreamt of but he was proud of all he'd done.
"I would make no changes to anything I did over the last four or five years," Clayton said.
AJ Clayton sits during a timeout in Ohio's game against Ball State in the 2023 MAC Tournament.
In the later part of the 2024-25 season, Clayton missed three games whilst dealing with a nagging injury. It came at a pivitol point because at the time, he was averaging a career-high 15.5 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game.
However, Clayton powered through to come back for the Bobcats' game against Western Michigan in early February. He led the team with 18 points that night.
It was during his stint on the injury reserve that Clayton realized the impact he had in four years.
"It's awesome to hear your name called in The Convo and people get loud. When I came back against Western Michigan at home, hearing that was awesome. It's cool to walk around Athens and people know who you are, and they tell you 'Good game' or 'Good luck,' he said. "When I was hurt, people would say 'Hope to see you soon.' To have that type of love from the community is awesome."
The cheers for his return to the starting lineup mirrored the ones that bounced off the walls on January 11 during Ohio's game against Northern Illinois. Three minutes had barely ticked off the clock when Clayton let a 3-pointer fly from his fingertips. When the shot fell clean, a bright picture of Clayton with '1,000' flashed on The Convo scoreboard.
Clayton set a new career high in 3-pointers that evening (nine) to propel himself to 1000 career points. On top of that, his 31 total points boosted him over Jason Preston on the all-time scorers list. For his efforts, Clayton was named one of five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Weeok from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
AJ Clayton shoots the ball during Ohio's game against Northern Illinois on Jan. 11, 2025.
"It's great, especially to score that in four years, being here all four, it means a lot. Especially being from this area," Clayton said in the postgame press conference.
The expectations were high for Clayton this year. He was one of five voted to the Preseason All-MAC first team. He's also the only true senior on the Bobcats' roster. It's a lot of pressure, but he accepts it willingly. He wants to make sure the younger Bobcats are set up to succeed when he and the two graduate students on the roster take their final bow after the postseason.
He also wants them to know how fast it goes.
"I was kind of surprised that nobody had asked me yet, what I would say to freshmen me, and you know, I'd tell him it's all gonna work out and to cherish all you can. It was fun. Looking back, playing against those guys was a lot of fun, and the challenge was a lot of fun."
1,164 points and counting, over 500 rebounds and countless dunks. But, only one Clayton.
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