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Walter Clayton Jr. Sends Message To Mom After Florida’s National Championship Win

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Robert Marvi | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 12:22 AM ET

Monday's NCAA men's national championship game started out badly for Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr.

He went scoreless in the first half as his team fell behind by double digits to the Houston Cougars in the opening minutes of the second half, and it looked like it would be an evening that would forever live in infamy for him.

But he recovered to hit three key shots down the stretch, and that was a factor in Florida coming from behind to knock off Houston by a final score of 65-63 to win it all.

Right after the win, Clayton gave a shout-out to his mother.

"I can't wait to see my mama," Clayton said. "Mama I love you girl."

Walter Clayton Jr. shouted out his mom after winning the national championship pic.twitter.com/PwGWhuPDTV
— espnW (@espnW) April 8, 2025

Clayton finished the biggest game of his life with 11 points, seven assists, five rebounds, one steal and one blocked shot. He has averages of 18.5 points, 4.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds a game, and he's expected to be a legitimate prospect in this summer's NBA draft who could go in the first round.

But for now, he and his Gators teammates are on top of the nation following Monday's win. The celebration has started for Florida, as it has become the first college to win three national titles apiece in both basketball and football.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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