Walter Clayton Jr.
Walter Marterry Clayton Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball for the Iona Gaels and the Gators men's basketball|Florida Gators]. With Florida, Clayton was a consensus first-team All-American in 2025 and was named the NCAA Division I [basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player|Final Four Most Outstanding Player] after leading Florida to a 2025 [NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game|national championship] victory.
Early life and high school career
Walter Marterry Clayton Jr. was born in Sebring, Florida on March 6, 2003. He is son of Cherie Ann Quarg, who played softball and basketball at Frostproof Middle-Senior High School and Walter Clayton Sr., who played basketball and football at Frostproof.His family moved to Lake Wales, Florida, when he was 10. Clayton Jr. initially attended Lake Wales High School, where he played football and basketball. In basketball, he averaged 17.5 points, five rebounds, and 3.2 assists as a sophomore. Clayton transferred to Bartow High School after his sophomore year. He averaged 15.4 points, 4.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game during his first season at Bartow as the Yellow Jackets won the Florida Class 6A state championship. Clayton committed to playing college basketball for Iona over offers from East Carolina, Florida A&M, Charleston, Stetson, and James Madison.
Clayton was considered a better college prospect in football and began playing the sport as a freshman in high school at the urging of his childhood friend, Gervon Dexter. He had offers to play football from Florida, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Nebraska, and West Virginia.
College career
Clayton averaged 7.3 points per game during his freshman season at Iona. He was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Year as a sophomore after averaging 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game during the regular season. After the season, Clayton entered the NCAA transfer portal.Clayton ultimately transferred to Gators. He also had considered transferring to St. John's and playing for his former Iona head coach, Rick Pitino.
In his first season at Florida, Clayton averaged 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists and was honored as Second-Team All-SEC. He played an instrumental role in getting the Gators to the SEC Tournament Championship for the first time in 10 years and the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 3 years. Despite the loss, Clayton had 33 points in a historic performance against Colorado in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
After the 2023–24 [Florida Gators men's basketball team|2023–24 season], Clayton declared for the NBA Draft. However, he ended up withdrawing from the draft and returning to Florida for his senior season. It was during this season that Clayton had one of the best individual seasons in Florida basketball history. He led Florida Gators men's basketball team|Florida] to a 27–4 record in the regular season while averaging 17.2 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.8 rebounds. During this season, Clayton led Florida to wins over 2024–25 [Tennessee Volunteers basketball team|No. 1 Tennessee] and at 2024–25 [Auburn Tigers men's basketball team|No. 1 Auburn], which was the first time Florida had ever beaten a No. 1 on the road. He also helped lead Florida to its best overall record and SEC record in 11 years. After the regular season, Clayton was honored as first-team All-SEC selection. On March 18, 2025, Clayton was named a first-team All American.
Clayton went on to lead the Gators to the national championship, making a crucial defensive closeout, causing Houston's Emanuel Sharp to pump-fake on a potential game-winning three-pointer and lose his dribble. Clayton's teammate Alex Condon pounced on the loose ball to seal the Gators' third national championship in program history and first since 2007. Clayton was named the Most Outstanding Player. After the season, Clayton was named the SEC Male Athlete of the Year, making him the first Florida basketball player to receive this honor.