ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF
The NCAA Tournament has come to a close, and the Florida Gators are National Champions. They defeated the Houston Cougars 65-63 on Monday night in San Antonio, and Walter Clayton Jr. was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
In the championship game, Houston did everything it could to slow him down, but Clayton showed another side of his game. He willed the Gators to victory, like he has all season long.
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1909449085628957136
A True Point Guard
Clayton, an Associated Press All-American, was tasked with playing the point this season following the departure of Zion Pullin from last year’s team. While his assists numbers had climbed from his junior to senior season, Clayton all season long has been a shoot-first player. Houston’s defense, ranked as the best in the country by every metric, did everything it could to not give him open looks. It saw what he did to Texas Tech and Auburn in the previous two rounds, and was not going to allow Clayton to score 30 again. The Cougars shut him down for a half. Clayton shot 0 of 4 to start the game. This was only the second time this season he was shut out in the first half. His impact was still felt. Clayton finished the game with seven assists, his highest in a tournament game.
The Cougars doubled Clayton out of every ball screen. Coach Kelvin Sampson made it an emphasis to not allow Clayton to get the ball going left, his favorite way to pull up for 3. Clayton, after a couple of early turnovers, made the adjustment. He continually found the big men rolling to the basket for easy dunks. He also began to set up Will Richard, who scored 14 points in the first half to keep the Gators afloat. Claytons improvements as a point guard prepared him for the pressure of Houston and is what separated him as Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
All The Small Things
In a game where their shot is not falling, great players find ways to make an impact. Clayton did just that on the defensive side of the floor. Not known for his defense, Clayton finished with a steal and a block, as well as five defensive rebounds. His block in particular was momentum swinging. Houston had the 3-point lead coming out of halftime, and L.J. Cryer had already hit a 3 to extend the lead to six. After Richard had his layup blocked, Houston got a fast-break opportunity. Emanuel Sharp pulled up for a transition 3, looking to spread the lead to nine and open the half on a 6-0 run. Clayton sprinted out to the perimeter and blocked the shot. Florida was able to get a stop on the possession, and it lead to an Alex Condon dunk, assisted by Clayton.
This was not even the best defensive play Clayton made against Sharp. Houston had a chance to tie or win the game, as it got the ball down 2 with 19 seconds to go. As the first two actions for Cryer and Milos Uzan were covered, Sharp ran up to the top of the key with Clayton trailing him. Claytons contest on Sharp after he left his feet to shoot forced Sharp to put the ball on the floor. This led to Condon being able to jump on the ball, winning the game for the Gators. Effort on the defensive side had been something that people had questioned about Clayton. With the lights at their brightest, he made two huge defensive plays to help the Gators reclaim glory.
What a defensive play by Walter Clayton, Jr. Came out of nowhere for the contest. Never seen a game end this way. Houston was going for the three and the win. pic.twitter.com/IeCLX9b9aT
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) April 8, 2025
“The Closer”
Mariano Rivera. Trevor Hoffman. Kenley Jansen. These are some of the names that come to mind when talking about the greatest closers of all time. Clayton added his name to this list with is performance in the tournament. He hit the big shots in the wins against UConn, Texas Tech and Auburn. And he did it again Monday at the Alamodome. All 11 of his points came after halftime, and nine came with less than 11 minutes to go. He hit his only 3 with 3:14 to play and it tied the game. Do not forget his stop on Sharp to close out the game. When the Gators need him most, Clayton steps up. He did it for the last time as a Gator on Monday, and is now forever a national champion.
Entering Walter Clayton Jr. time… pic.twitter.com/ttogcZ7jTZ
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 8, 2025
What Next?
Clayton, who returned to Florida with hopes of improving his draft stock, has done just that. He entered the season with an end of the second-round projection. After his performance in the tournament, winning Most Outstanding Player, he is being looked at as a consensus first-round pick in the NBA Draft this summer. The question is not will Clayton play in the NBA, but where will he play.
