California's leading high school basketball scorer was a JV benchwarmer last year

SAN FRANCISCO — The basketball dreams of Clayton Ladine were shattering like an old glass backboard victimized by Darryl Dawkins.

He found out last spring that he hadn't made the AAU team he tried out for, which came only a few months after a disappointing junior varsity season at Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco), where he was demoted from starter to reserve.

"Honestly, I cried most of the night," he said. "My dad came in and said I had two paths to take: Give up or fight harder."

For 12 hours, Clayton gave up. He picked Steve Carell over basketball.

"The next morning I remember watching reruns of 'The Office,' my favorite show," he said. "I watched two or three before it hit me: ‘What am I doing? I can do better than this?'"

Can he ever.

In one season, the personable, floppy-haired 6-foot-1 junior guard has gone from JV scrub at Riordan to California's leading scorer — No. 3 in the nation — at 37.8 points per game at Burton (San Francisco).

Scoring Machine

With unlimited shooting range, a good first step and endless motor, he's scored at least 40 points a dozen times and more than 50 three times, including a season-opening 51 against Lincoln and a career-high 63 versus Jordan on Jan. 13.

Clayton leads California in field goals attempted (652), field goals made (313) and is second in three-pointers made (111). He also averages 5.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.

His current scoring average is the highest in San Francisco Bay Area history, according to Cal-Hi Sports, surpassing the late Winters Patterson, of Balboa (San Francisco), at 36.7 in 1995-96. The state record is 45.7 by Mike Fisher of Southwestern-San Marino in 1991.

How in the world did Clayton make such a transformation?

"It's been a perfect storm of events," he said.

How'd He Do That?

Clayton's gym-rat nature, a two-inch growth spurt and improvement over the summer were the main reasons. His transfer from perhaps the Bay Area's top league and the fact that his father Clint Ladine is Burton's first-year coach certainly didn't hurt.

Both father — who played professionally overseas — and son concede to that.

Especially since Clint's philosophy is straight out of the old Loyola-Marymount shoot-when-you're-open school of offensive basketball. The Pumas average a state-best 85.7 points per game and have gone from 1-18 last year to 18-7 this season, with a championship and 10-0 record in the AAA's lower Division II.

They open the San Francisco Section playoffs Friday at Washington (San Francisco) (24-6).

"I've never understood why you wait to shoot when you can get the same or better shot earlier," said Clint, who played in Australia and Germany for 13 seasons after a college career at Bethany University.

But the Ladines — with confirmation from officials at both Burton and Riordan — won't concede Clayton's transfer was remotely orchestrated to further his basketball career or scoring average.

With a change of jobs and six children — two adopted — the Ladines couldn't afford Riordan any longer and Clayton enrolled at Burton. It wasn't until early in the fall that they learned that Burton needed a basketball coach and Clint, who swore he would never coach high school basketball — or his son — made the commitment.

The Burton players hesitated at first when Clint came on board, said senior point guard Steven Evangelista. They never doubted Clayton's skill — they nicknamed him "White Chocolate" and "Let it Rain," during Wednesday open gyms during the fall — but having the coach's son on the team creates obvious concerns.

"I think we were worried there might be some favoritism," Evangelista said. "But we found out right away that he (Clint) wanted us all to get better. And we are."

"Can You Please Just Miss a Shot?"

Clayton helped win over his teammates in his very first game against defending San Francisco Section champion Lincoln, going for 51 points in a surprising 87-67 win.

After making one of his eight 3-pointers under heavy duress against Tarrez Blaylock, one of the league's best players, Blaylock said: "Can you please just miss a shot?"

Said Evangelista: "I just kept feeding him the ball and seeing how far he could go."

Clayton hasn't slowed after 25 games, something former Riordan varsity coach Rich Buckner has noted.

"Of course, seeing his scoring totals I feel like we missed out on the kid," he said. "I've asked my assistants, ‘What happened? Did we miss the boat?'"

But Clayton doesn't hold it against them.

"I have absolutely no hard feelings about anything at Riordan," he said. "The coaches were amazing. ... But I think about now what would have happened if my family hadn't moved. I would have been sitting on the bench instead of us enjoying all our success. It's sort of crazy to think about."

And crazier to think that Clayton is suddenly on college radars.

The Next Step

He's received letters from Stanford and Santa Clara even though he can't yet dunk a basketball (he can dunk a volleyball). He needs to improve his overall quickness, but with two uncles who also played professionally overseas and a cousin and grandfather who played in college, the genes are there.

A win over his old man first would help with Clayton's confidence.

Clint, 44, is still very active and tears up local city leagues. He was a 6-3 point guard in his heyday.

"I remember when I was a junior I never scored more than eight points in any game," Clint said. "I know we're not playing the best competition around, but what he's doing consistently every night is pretty amazing. He is way better than I was at the same stage."

Father and son play one-on-one every Saturday. Clayton is still looking for his first win.

"I don't know how I can't beat a 40-year-old man," Clayton said. "He calls a lot of fouls."

Said his dad: "He's getting closer. It won't be long."