Road to the draft: Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. looks to parlay Gators’ championship into long NBA career

The road to Walter Clayton Jr. at the NBA is really a story a kindness. After starting his career by playing and learning a new position under the coach of the Rick Pitino renown temple, Clayton transformed this experience in a national championship race with the Florida Gators.

Clayton, who is currently projected as a late choice in the first round in the recovery of the NBA on Wednesday, appreciates each experience that led him to this point.

“Just grateful for the people who have been in my life, and just grateful for the trip,” said Clayton on the road to the project presented by Jeep. “I’m ready. I’m ready, that’s for sure.”

A pure leader in high school, Clayton took up the challenge of becoming a combo goalkeeper during his stay in Iona. After having an average of 7.3 points per match in the first year, Clayton has an average of 16.8 points per second year outing while helping to lead IONA to a conference title.

“The Comb-Garde transition … He was really trying to score more,” said Clayton. “I was also so passing by mind. In Iona, coach P wanted me to score first, and that opened the scoring a little.”

While he was originally going to follow Pitino until his next judgment, Clayton – from Florida – finally chose to transfer to Gainesville after his second season after hearing the vision of Gators Todd Golden for the program with the news that his daughter was on the way.

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Clayton continued to rely on the success he had in Iona in Florida. As a junior, he has an average of 17.6 points per game while helping Florida to capture a place in the NCAA tournament. He then decided to return for his last year to manage, in his words, “unfinished affairs”. More specifically, the scouts wanted to see him manage the ball more, which happened organically with his teammate and colleague goalkeeper Zyon Pullin heading towards the NBA.

He is sure to say that Clayton managed his business more than last season. The top scorer of the Gators last season, Clayton led Florida to the first national title of the school since 2007. He collected an average of 22.3 points per game during the success of Florida through the NCAA tournament which was crowned by a victory of 65-63 championship against Houston.

Clayton is now hard to prepare for the next trip to his basketball career. He hopes to transform his unique experiences into a long and successful race of the NBA. He has never put a limit where his game can go, “so I’m just going to keep working to improve every day.”

Walter Clayton Jr. screening report.

He is one of the best shooters in this project, has the versatility to play both on and outside the ball and the physical strength to be a more competitive defender in the NBA that we saw during most of his university career. – CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein

Pro comparison

Jordan Clarkson

Height

6 feet 3 inches

Weight

195 pounds

Facts and statistics

• Completed his university career in Florida after spending his first two seasons in Iona
• On average 17.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for two seasons in Florida
• The percentage of free throws of 95.3% of Clayton in the last year in Iona was at the top of division I of the NCAA
• The first player in the history of the Florida program to win the honors of the first All-America team, adding the recognition of the most remarkable players of Final Four and West and the MVP of the Tournament
• 1,346 points as Gator is the most over a two -year period in the history of the program
• To two of the first six highest seasons in the history of the program
• 117 3 points during the 2024-25 season is the second largest number in the history of the program

Strength

• Versatility as a combo guardian who can play and possibly excel in several positions
• History of the clutch to come in great moments / games

Weakness

• Not considered an elite defender
• Inconsistencies as a shooter and as a decision maker