After comparison with Stephen Curry, Florida teammates use 1 word to describe Walter Clayton Jr.
Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. has been compared to Steph Curry for his performance in the NCAA Tournament. But when his teammates were asked to define him ahead of the NCAA championship game, only one word came to mind.
“He is special, to be honest,” Will Richard said.
Thomas Haugh and Alijah Martin could not find another word to describe the senior guard, so they stuck to the same description.
Walter Clayton Jr. scored 64 points in his last two games, including 34 in their 79-73 victory over the Auburn Tigers in the Final Four. He also went 5-for-8 from 3, including a couple of daggers late in the game.
During the tournament, he's averaged 24.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists while scoring on 48.5 % of his attempts from beyond the arc.
For the season, Clayton averaged 18.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 4.1 apg. He was considered by experts as the third-best player in the nation, behind Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s Johni Broome. However, he outlasted both in the tournament.
Clayton’s journey to the national championship game has been a long one. After two years at Iona, he transferred to Gainesville ahead of the 2023 season.
A title on Monday would turn Walter Clayton Jr. into a Gators legend, but he has his work cut out for him against the Houston Cougars' top-ranked defense.
Florida is facing Houston in the national championship game at the Alamodome. The Gators are looking for their third national title and first since 2007, when they won back-to-back national titles under Billy Donovan.
Kelvin Sampson praised Walter Clayton Jr. ahead of season finale
Ahead of the NCAA championship game against the Florida Gators, Houston Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson had high praise for the guard.
The Houston head coach compared the senior guard to Duke big man and AP Player of the Year Cooper Flagg.
"Walter Clayton Jr., I met him for the first time outside of here in one of these hallways the other day. If Cooper Flagg is the best player in the country, then this kid is right there with him. He is the ultimate winner. You have to have kids like him to get here," Sampson said via SI.com.
The Cougars are looking for their first title in program history. They lost their only two NCAA championship games in 1983 and 1984, despite Hakeem Olajuwon leading the team during the Phi-Slam-Jama era.