When Western Kentucky coach Ray Harper labeled freshman guard DJ Clayton an “elevator guy” in a recent interview, it drew some confused looks from reporters.

But then Harper explained just how highly he thinks of Clayton’s potential.

“He might be on the first floor right now, but with his potential, he’s going to end up on the fifth floor,” Harper said. “He’s going to keep getting better, and I’m going to enjoy watching him.”

Clayton – a 6-foot-6, 184-pound wing player with a long, lanky frame and bounds of athleticism – wowed WKU fans in most of his early appearances with near-misses. He’d sky for a rebound or make a brilliant move to the basket, but the shot wouldn’t fall.

Things changed for the Oakland, Calif., native last weekend, when he scored a career-high 14 points off the bench in a 76-67 loss to No. 4 Louisville at E.A. Diddle Arena. He made all four of his 3-point attempts with four rebounds in 22 minutes.

Welcome to the big time, DJ.

“It was a great experience to play a team of that caliber, and for the game to have that much energy and excitement around it, it was the first time for me,” Clayton said. “I enjoyed it a lot.”

Clayton will likely be a major piece of the puzzle going forward for WKU (5-5), which hosts NAIA member Brescia at 7 p.m. today.

He’s played at least 15 minutes in each of the last four games after notching 12 total minutes in the Hilltoppers’ first four contests, including two games in which he didn’t appear at all.

Before the 14-point outburst against Louisville, Clayton hadn’t scored more than four in a game.

“He just has to get some rhythm,” senior guard Trency Jackson said. “That’s DJ. He’s just got to get a rhythm. He can help us greatly. He’s (6-6) with a long wingspan, so he’s great at attacking and slashing to the basket. And also on defense. People don’t look at DJ as a defender, but he’s good on defense. 

“He’s always in the right spot, and he can help with rebounding. So he brings extra energy off the bench, and that’s what we really need.”

Clayton has come a long way since he jumped into basketball in Catholic youth leagues as a child in Oakland.

His father, who played at Castlemont High School in Oakland, got him into recreational leagues and eventually the Oakland Rebels AAU program.

Clayton said he also wanted to imitate his older brother, Lloyd Redding, who played in high school before giving up the game.

It was around the eighth grade that Clayton said he realized his own abilities, but “people were telling me about my potential earlier than that.”

Clayton started his prep career at Castro Valley (Calif.) High School, but coaching changes at the school led him to Orlando, Fla., where he played his senior season at Elev8 Sports Academy.

The guard averaged 18 points at Elev8 and credits the coaching staff for instilling his aggressive nature that’s piqued WKU fans’ interest.

“I felt it was a good situation for me to go to Florida and just work with those great people over there,” Clayton said. “That’s still my people and my family. I became a lot more disciplined player, and coach taught me to be more of the ‘killer instinct-type’ player when it comes to scoring on the offensive end.

“It’s very important because there are times where I can freelance on the court and go.”

So how did a player from Oakland by way of Orlando end up in Bowling Green?

That’s where WKU assistant coach Shawn Forrest comes in.

Forrest originally saw Clayton playing in Las Vegas with his Oakland Rebels AAU program. The coach of that AAU squad, Raymond Young, is a friend of Harper’s after the latter coached one of Young’s relatives at Oklahoma City University.

“I thought he was an athletic, gifted talent,” Forrest said. “At that time, we had been to the NCAA tournament two consecutive years, and the expectations and the winning tradition here. We sold him on that, the exposure of us being on TV all the time and the fact that we thought he could come in and play some quality minutes as a freshman.”

Clayton, who was rated a three-star prospect by Rivals, chose the Tops over San Francisco, San Jose State, UC Davis and Utah State among others – all West Coast schools.

WKU’s location in the heartland meant little to Clayton compared to its rich tradition.

“I loved Western right when I first came on my visit,” he said. “I had done some research and found out it was a very winning program, and there was a great history about the team and the coaches and the administration.”

Clayton said he’s still working on playing hard on every possession, and he’s been in the weight room trying to get stronger.

He said his time in Orlando and Bowling Green have adjusted him to being away from home, but he did get a special visit last week.

His parents flew in from California to watch the Tops’ games against Chicago State and Louisville – just in time to watch their son catch fire from 3-point range against a top-five team on national television.

“It was special for me, just to get the chance to play in front of them again,” Clayton said. “It had been a long time since my dad saw me play, because he never really got to see me play in Florida that much. It was special to me.”

If Clayton keeps trending upward on the “elevator,” his parents and other supporters will have plenty of opportunities to watch him reach new heights.

There’s no telling where the ceiling will be, Forrest said.

“Obviously, he’s got to keep getting better, but I think he’s just scratching the surface of what he can be,” Forrest said. “I think he could be one of those guys that if he keeps working in the next three or four years, he could put himself in a position to make an NBA roster. He could make some money playing professionally after his college career his over.” 

— Follow Assistant Sports Editor Zach Greenwell on Twitter at twitter.com/zach_greenwell or visit bgdailynews.com.