Apr 7, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) reacts against the Houston Cougars during the second half in the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome.Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Florida Basketball Star Draws Comparisons to Cade Cunningham

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 8:19 PM ET

Slowly wrapping up a breakout campaign for the Detroit Pistons, Cade Cunningham has established himself as a star-level talent in the NBA. As he climbs the NBA hierarchy, the All-Star guard was used as a player comp for a premiere talent in college basketball.

On Monday night, the Florida Gators knocked off Houston to secure a national championship. A major catalyst in their success was the play of Walter Clayton Jr., who joined the program last year after spending two seasons at Iona.

In his senior campaign, Clayton Jr. averaged 18.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 4.2 APG. The 6-foot-2 guard also shot an efficient 38.6% from beyond the arc. As he gears up to potentially make the jump to the NBA, one longtime analyst gave Clayton a rather favorable NBA comparison.

During their run to a national championship, Stephen A. Smith took to social media to give his thoughts on Clayton. He had nothing but praise for the Florida standout, applauding his play in the NCAA Tournament. The ESPN host even went as far as to say that Clayton reminds him of Cunningham.

Ladies and Gentlemen, just in case you did not know: this brother from @GatorsMBK, his name is Walter Clayton Jr, and he is something special. This brother is the real deal. Reminds me of @DetroitPistons big time guard Wade Cunningham.
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 6, 2025

Seeing that their two guards who are able to fill the stat sheet, Cunningham could be a name tossed around when discussing Clayton. However, there is one clear difference between the two. That being the Pistons star is a jumbo-sized point guard standing at 6-foot-6. Cunningham's height gives him an added edge at the position and is a luxury Clayton doesn't have at 6'2.

While his stock has gone up as of late, most mock drafts still have Clayton coming off the board near the end of the first round in the 2025 draft.