Walter Clayton Jr. Selected in 2025 NBA Draft

Last season, Clayton Jr. was a consensus First-Team All-American while helping lead the Gators to a national championship, the program's third overall and first since 2007.

The 6-foot-2 and 195-pound guard led the Gators with 18.3 points and 4.2 assists per game. Throughout the NCAA tournament, his scoring average rose to 22.3 points per game. After winning the National Championship, Clayton Jr was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament.

Before transferring to Florida, he spent two seasons at Iona University, playing under legendary head coach Rick Pitino. During his final season with the Gaels, Clayton Jr’s 95.3% free-throw percentage was the most accurate in the country.

In a scouting report put together by Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, Clayton Jr.’s performance in his pre-draft workouts has helped boost his draft stock.

“Clayton didn’t stop rising after leading Florida to the NCAA title,” O’Connor said. “He’s continued excelling in workouts and is getting looks from teams in the top 20. Clayton is a fearless shooter with the versatility to take any shot at any moment, and his defense made strides in the tournament too.”

While Gators head coach Todd Golden has had a front row seat to Clayton Jr’s excellence over the past two season, he made sure to praise his former floor general’s character ahead of the draft.

“He’s an amazing young man. Incredibly coachable,” Golden said. “A guy that wants to be a leader and has a great work ethic.”

Clayton Jr. is the first Gator to be selected in this year’s draft, but Alijah Martin is projected to be selected in the second round.

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