After Getting Feedback From NBA, Gators’ Clayton Poised For Big Senior Season

Confidence. Leadership.

Those are two qualities that immediately come to Florida basketball head coach Todd Golden’s mind when he talks about senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr.

Clayton’s 17.6 points per game last season was the highest scoring average by a Gators player since Anthony Roberson (17.9) in 2003-04. However, it’s not Clayton’s stellar scoring average, ability to make big shots or the Southeastern Conference honors he has earned that make him stand out. It’s his competitiveness and ability to rally the team that make him a huge asset to the program. Golden said Clayton leads vocally and by example.

“He has great confidence in himself, and it’s not arrogance,” said Golden, who is entering his third season in Gainesville. “Whenever he steps on the floor, he thinks he’s the best player, and I can’t give somebody that confidence. It’s something that he kind of has naturally and is able to exhibit when he’s on the court.”

The 6-foot-3 senior from Lake Wales earned second-team All-SEC and SEC All-Tournament team honors in his first season with the Gators. And the accolades keep rolling in: Clayton earned Preseason All-SEC first-team honors on Monday. 

“Walt’s really, really talented,” Golden said. “One of the best offensive players in America, in my opinion.”

Even though Clayton is expected take over UF’s primary ball-handling role after the departure of Zyon Pullin to the NBA, he doesn’t foresee a major change in what Golden will be asking him to do on the floor. Clayton, who also averaged 2.6 assists per game last season, is still tasked with making the offense go.

“I wouldn’t say [my role will be] too much different,” Clayton said Tuesday during his SEC Media Days appearance. “Obviously, I guess people [are talking about the] move to the 1 [point guard]. Basketball is a little different nowadays. There’s no real true point guard, in my opinion, anymore. It’s just scoring the ball when I need to, getting it to my teammates when I need to. Being whatever my teammates need.”

Before transferring to Florida in 2023, Clayton shined at Iona, leading the Gaels to a regular- season and conference tournament titles. He brought his championship mindset to Gainesville, helping the Gators finish 24-12 and reach the SEC Tournament championship for the first time since 2014.

Clayton scored a season-high 33 points in the Gators’ heartbreaking 102-100 first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Colorado in March, which was UF’s first March Madness appearance in three seasons.

Thanks in part to Clayton’s up-tempo style of play, Florida had its highest-scoring offense in program history, averaging 85.6 points per game. Golden said the goal is to be in the top 10 in the country in pace.

“We want to be getting up and down [the court],” he said. “We want that to be our identity, so that’s our goal.”

Clayton and fellow senior guard Will Richard tested the NBA waters this summer participating in workouts with teams, an experience Golden said was beneficial for both players.

https://twitter.com/GatorsMBK/status/1843447786857193632

“When you go work out with the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons, and you have NBA general managers giving you the information that most of the time aligns with what your coach is telling you, it carries a little more weight,” he said.

Both of them received specific feedback on their individual play, which included putting a greater emphasis on protecting the basketball. They also realized that defense is one of the things that needs to improve for them to reach the next level.

“They have the answers to their test, and we need to win a lot for them to make the NBA,” he said. “But now they know where specifically NBA teams want to see them improve to do that.”

With the feedback from the NBA and a year under his belt in the Florida program, Clayton’s senior season is expected to be a successful one, according to Golden.

“When we go and compete, you want as many guys like Walter on the floor as you can find,” Golden said.  “So I’m pretty confident he’ll have a really good senior year for us this year.”