2023-24 Men's Basketball Roster
Roster
Clayton Jr., Walter
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Jersey Number 1
Walter Clayton Jr.
- Position:
- Guard
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 195
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Lake Wales, Fla.
- High School:
- Bartow
Bio
Overview
Honors
2024-25, Senior Season
2023-24, Junior Season
2022-23, Sophomore Season (Iona)
2021-22, Freshman Season (Iona)
Prep
Personal
Off the Court
- Posted the most productive and decorated individual season in Florida history, leading the Gators to the 2025 national championship while scoring a UF-record 713 points.
- The first player in program history to earn first-team All-America honors, adding Final Four and West Regional Most Outstanding Player recognition and SEC Tournament MVP.
- His 1,346 points as a Gator ranked 24th in Florida history, the most points over a two-season span in Florida history. Scored 2,117 career points including his two seasons at Iona.
- Holds two of the six highest-scoring seasons in program history, including a UF-record 713 in 2024-25 and 633 in 2023-24.
- Graduated from UF in Spring 2025 with a degree in Educational Sciences.
- Hit 210 3-point field goals, the 10th-highest career total in Florida history, including 117 in 2024-25, the second-most by a Gator in a single season.
- Among Florida’s career leaders in several categories: second, .876 free throw percentage; sixth, 17.9 points per game; 10th, 210 3-point field goals.
- His points (1,346), assists (256) and 3-point field goals (210) all rank the most by a Florida transfer, and his steals (84) rank second.
- A two-time All-SEC performer who also earned All-SEC Tournament Team honors both seasons.
- Part of the top-two highest-scoring offenses in Florida history and led the only two trios at UF to all exceed 500 points in a season.
- Earned Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year and unanimous first-team All-MAAC honors as a sophomore in 2022-23.
- In two seasons at Iona, totaled 771 points, 207 rebounds, 154 assists, 83 steals and 30 blocked shots in 64 games with 35 starts. Had two double-doubles, 37 double-figure scoring games and 13 games with 20+ points, including 30 points at Niagara (2/12/23).
Honors
- 2025 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player
- 2025 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team
- 2025 NCAA West Regional Most Outstanding Player
- 2025 NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team
- 2025 Consensus 1st-Team All-America (AP, NABC, Sporting News, USBWA)
- 2025 SEC Tournament MVP
- 2025 All-SEC Tournament Team
- 2025 1st-Team All-SEC (AP, Coaches, USA Today)
- 2025 1st-Team NABC All-District
- 2025 Wooden Award Top 5
- 2025 Wooden All-America
- 2025 Naismith Player of the Year Semifinalist (1 of 10)
- 2025 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Finalist (1 of 5)
- 2024 ESPN Events Invitational MVP
- 2024 Coaches Second-Team All-SEC
- 2024 All-SEC Tournament Team
- 2023 MAAC Player of the Year
- 2023 First-Team All-MAAC (unanimous)
- 2023 NCAA Stat Champion – .953 Free Throw Percentage
2024-25, Senior Season
- Posted perhaps the most highly-decorated season in Florida history: consensus first-team All-America, Final Four Most Outstanding Player and All-Tournament Team, NCAA West Regional Most Outstanding Player and All-Tournament Team, SEC Tournament MVP and All-Tournament Team, first-team All-SEC, Wooden Award Top 5, Cousy Award Finalist and first-team NABC All-District.
- Set a Florida single-season record with 713 points, adding top-ranked seasons with 117 3-point field goals (second) and 235 field goals made (fifth).
- Tallied all 11 of his points in the national championship in the second half, helping the Gators rally from 12 down to claim the title.
- Scored a career-high 34 points in the Final Four win vs. #4 Auburn on the heels of 30 in the Elite Eight victory vs. #9 Texas Tech, becoming the first player since Larry Bird to post 30+ points in back-to-back games in the regional final or later.
- Scored 13 of his game-high 23 points vs. UConn in the final eight minutes, helping the Gator rally to knock off the two-time defending champions.
- Notched his 2,000th career point during the first-round win vs. Norfolk State, finishing with 23 points.
- Averaged 20.7 points and shot 13-for-26 from 3-point range in the SEC Tournament to win MVP and All-Tournament Team honors. He scored 22 points in the championship game vs. #8 Tennessee and the semifinal win vs. #5 Alabama and also tallied six assists, three steals and no turnovers vs. Alabama, as UF's 104 points in the game set the SEC Tournament scoring record.
- Capped his home career with 23 points and eight assists in the Senior Night win vs. Ole Miss.
- Posted 22 points, eight assists and five rebounds with one turnover in the win at #7 Alabama.
- Played all 40 minutes and led the team with 19 points and nine assists in the win at #1 Auburn, also scoring his 1,000th point as a Gator in the game.
- Also scored 19 at #22 Mississippi State, helping the Gators earn ranked wins in back-to-back road games for the first time in program history.
- Matched a then-career high with 33 points at #10 Kentucky, including six 3-pointers made and 23 second-half points.
- Became the second Gator in program history to hit five 3-pointers in three straight games, doing so against Wichita State, Virginia and Arizona State. Anthony Roberson previously did so in Jan. 2005.
- Led Florida in scoring 20 times and in assists 23 times, totaling 15 games with 20+ points and three 30-point performances.
2023-24, Junior Season
- Earned second-team All-SEC honors and led the team in scoring with 17.6 points per game, the highest scoring average by a Gator in 20 years (Anthony Roberson, 17.9, 2003-04).
- Added All-SEC Tournament Team honors, averaging 18.5 points per game while leading UF to its first championship game appearance in 10 years.
- Clayton’s 633 points rank as the #5 single-season total in Florida history.
- Also tallied 93 3-point field goals, the #8 single-season Florida total. He finished the season with an active 23-game streak with a made 3-pointer, tied for the eighth-longest streak in UF history.
- His 15 20-poing scoring games marked the most by a Gator during the 2000s, also posting double-figure scoring in 32 of his 36 games.
- Tied a Florida record with 42 consecutive free throws made and had a top-10 single-season UF free throw percentage at .877.
- His 33 points vs. Colorado marked the second 30-point game in NCAA Tournament history by a Gator (35, KeVaughn Allen, 2017 Sweet 16 vs. Wisconsin).
- Posted a four-game 20-point streak, matching Colin Castleton, Tre Mann and Nick Calathes for the longest such streak by a Gator during the 2000s.
- Led the Gators with 21 points in the win vs. LSU, including a breakaway layup through contact to put Florida up three with 20 seconds remaining. Clayton shot 8-for-9 on 2-point field goals in the game.
- Posted 20 points on just nine field goal attempts in the win vs. #12 Auburn, going 3-for-6 from long range and 9-for-10 from the free throw line.
- Led UF with 23 points in the overtime win at #10 Kentucky, as his 3-pointer with 3.0 seconds left in regulation forced overtime and another with 1:42 left in overtime put UF ahead for good. It marked Florida’s first top-10 road win since 2003.
- Led the Gators with 19 points in the rivalry rout of Florida State, adding five assists and two steals.
2022-23, Sophomore Season (Iona)
- Totaled 538 points, 136 rebounds, 103 assists, 72 3-point field goals and 59 steals, starting 31 of 32 games and leading Iona to regular season and conference tournament titles.
- Led the nation with a .953 free throw percentage, knocking down 102 of 107 from the charity stripe.
- His 16.8 scoring average ranked third in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
- Had seven games with four or more 3-pointers, including a 6-for-6 game vs. Santa Clara and a 6-for-10 night vs. SMU.
- Scored 30 points on 12-for-23 shooting at Niagara.
- Posted two double-doubles, posting 20 points and 12 rebounds vs. St. Louis and 21 points and 11 rebounds in the conference tournament vs. Mount St. Mary’s.
- Tallied 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in the NCAA Tournament against eventual national champion UConn.
- Dished a season-high nine assists vs. Marist and nabbed seven steals vs. Siena.
2021-22, Freshman Season (Iona)
- Totaled 233 point, 71 rebounds 51 assists, 30 3-point field goals and 24 steals, starting four of his 32 appearances.
- Averaged 7.3 points while helping Iona to a regular season championship and appearance in the NIT, where the Gaels visited Florida and Clayton matched a season-high with 27 minutes played.
- Posted a season-high 21 points vs. Delaware, shooting 8-for-11 from the field and 4-for-5 from 3-point range.
- Dished a season-high six assists in the conference tournament vs. Rider.
- Tallied 10 double-figure scoring performances.
Prep
- A basketball and football standout before focusing on basketball beginning his junior year, Clayton helped Bartow basketball to a pair of 6A state championships.
- Was high school classmates with former Florida football player Gervon Dexter Sr.
- Took part in summer workouts with Chandler Parsons’ CP25 program while the AAU circuit was shut down due to COVID.
Personal
- Parents are Cherie Quarg and Walter Clayton Sr.
- Has two sisters, Asia Harris and Giselle Clayton.
- Both parents played basketball in high school, and his dad also played football.
- Also played football growing up.
- Came to Florida because he believes we can win big here.
Off the Court
- Chose his number because he likes the number 1.
- Favorite food: His mom’s Jambalaya
- If he could have a superpower: Invisibility
- Hidden talent: Video games
- If he could have dinner with any three people: Erik Spoelstra, Kobe Bryant, Rick Ross
- Favorite NBA player: Bradley Beal
- Favorite athlete outside the NBA: Tiger Woods
- Favorite place he’s traveled: Athens, Greece
- Favorite holiday and why: Thanksgiving, because of the food
- Favorite movie or TV show: American Gangster
- Favorite book: Never Finished by David Goggins
Tommy Haugh Media Availability 9-22-25
Monday, September 22
Alex Condon Media Availability 9-22-25
Monday, September 22
Todd Golden Media Availability 9-22-25
Monday, September 22
Xaivian Lee Press Conference 6-17-25
Tuesday, June 17
