Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr.: A Rising Star in College Basketball
SAN FRANCISCO — It’s only fitting, considering the iconic venue they’ll be playing in on Thursday, that Maryland coach Kevin Willard would draw a comparison between Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. and an 11-time NBA All-Star. “He reminds me of Steph a little bit in how effective he is off the dribble,” Willard remarked.
This nod goes to none other than Steph Curry, a player widely hailed as the greatest shooter in NBA history. The walls of the Chase Center are adorned with images of Curry, many capturing the moment he hoists one of the four championship trophies he has earned with the Golden State Warriors. Now, Clayton Jr. is on a quest for his own championship as the point guard for the No. 1 seed Florida Gators, who are set to face the fourth-seeded Maryland Terrapins on Thursday evening for a coveted spot in the Elite Eight.
“For those in the Bay Area, it might seem absurd to compare him to Steph — given Steph’s plethora of championships and MVPs — but from a college perspective, I think it’s fair to say there are similarities,” added Florida coach Todd Golden, who has a unique connection to Curry, having coached at the University of San Francisco from 2019 to 2022. “Walter’s off-balance shooting, his knack for getting his shot off at various angles, and his unwavering confidence to shoot from deep all echo what Steph does.”
Both Clayton Jr. and Curry share similar physical attributes. Clayton Jr. stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 195 pounds, while Curry is slightly shorter at 6-foot-2 and weighs 185. Both excel at shooting on the move — a skill that Curry himself has claimed is one of the most challenging to master — and neither player seems to hesitate about taking shots from any distance.
Clayton Jr. appeared somewhat reluctant to accept the comparison, acknowledging that while it’s flattering to be likened to Curry, he’s not entirely convinced he measures up to “one of the greatest ever,” a player who has “changed the game.”
His impressive statistics — averaging 17.9 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game with a shooting percentage of 44.6% — shed light on why the senior guard has earned multiple All-America accolades this season and is among the five finalists for the prestigious Bob Cousy Award, which honors the best point guard in men’s college basketball. However, it’s the deeper analytical metrics that truly highlight his skill set, according to Willard.
- “He shoots 48% when going left and around 38% going right,” Willard explained. “We get a scouting report from Sports Analytics Advantage, and he rates better than any player they’ve ever analyzed in terms of shooting off the dribble, both going right and left.”
- One of Willard’s main insights from scrutinizing these stats and watching extensive film is: “Only a fool will go under screens when defending Clayton Jr.” Defenders who have faced Curry would certainly agree.
The comparison to Curry is a far cry from what UConn coach Dan Hurley said last week. Just before the two-time defending champion Huskies faced off against Clayton Jr., who scored 23 points in the Gators’ 77-75 second-round victory, Hurley noted that Clayton’s quick release reminded him of Fred VanVleet.
Golden also sees elements of Jalen Brunson in Clayton Jr., particularly due to his ability to manage the ball effectively while also being a playmaker and decision-maker.
For context, Curry was the seventh pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of Davidson College. VanVleet, who went undrafted in 2016 after playing at Wichita State, found success with the Raptors and played a crucial role in their 2019 championship run, and is currently with the Houston Rockets. Brunson was the 33rd pick in the 2018 draft after leading Villanova to two NCAA championships (2016 and 2018). Meanwhile, Clayton Jr. is anticipated to be a mid-to-late second-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
It’s remarkable that Clayton Jr. is generating comparisons to any NBA talent, especially considering his unconventional journey to this point. Once a highly sought-after football safety, Clayton Jr. turned down scholarship offers from prestigious programs like Notre Dame, Georgia, Tennessee, Nebraska, and Florida, ultimately landing at Iona for basketball. He earned All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference honors during his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to Florida ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Alijah Martin, one of Florida’s other starting guards, frequently notes Clayton Jr.’s football background due to his physical style of play and immense “dominance every night” on the court.
However, the most impressive aspect, according to nearly everyone in the Gators’ locker room, is Clayton Jr.’s ability to seize control of a game at any moment. This was especially evident last week against UConn, where he scored 13 of his 23 points in the final eight minutes, leading the Gators to the Sweet 16.
“He just went ballistic,” said center Alex Condon. “There’s no one else we’d rather have take the shot than Walt, so getting the ball in his hands at the right time is something I try to facilitate down the stretch. He’s an incredible player who can create space whenever he needs to.”
However, Condon did have one caveat to add. Despite Clayton Jr.’s dominance on the court, he humorously noted that he outperformed him in video games.
While Clayton Jr. claims video gaming as one of his “hidden talents” on the Gators’ official site, Condon boasted that he “smoked him in (NBA) 2K” during some downtime last weekend in Raleigh, N.C.
In San Francisco, Clayton Jr. was quick to set the record straight. When asked who is the best NBA 2K player on the team, he confidently responded, “By far me. No doubt about it. I’ve given up video games this last month to focus on this run, but we played last week. Alex Condon beat me at 2K, but the input lag on the TV was an issue. I’m a PlayStation player playing on an Xbox. So I’ve got a few excuses. I’ll get him back soon, though.”
This assertion aligns perfectly with Condon’s observation from last weekend: “He hates losing.” That sentiment certainly resonates with the competitive spirit of Curry, too.
(Photo of Walter Clayton Jr.: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)
