Gators’ senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. is amid the best season of his collegiate career, averaging 17.5 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, and a career-high 4.0 assists. The 6’3, 195-pound Lake Wales, Florida native is shooting 45.4% from the field including 36.6% from three-point range. Clayton Jr. ranks T-7th in the SEC in scoring and holds the second best shooting percentage among guards in the top 10 in league scoring, trailing only Vanderbilt’s Jason Edwards by 0.1%.
But perhaps the most impressive statistic is Florida’s record. The Gators are 20-3 (7-3 SEC) and rank as the No.3 team in the country, largely thanks to Clayton Jr.’s play down the stretch. With eight regular season games to play, head coach Todd Golden believes his star point guard is entering the conversation for SEC Player of the Year.
“He’s continuing to put himself at the top of that list and it continues to evolve,” Golden said. “We have eight more regular-season games left, which is almost half of league play. There is a lot of basketball left. The reality is, if we can continue winning the way we are, and he plays the way he does, he should be firmly in that conversation. And [Auburn forward] Johni [Broome] has had a great year and deserves every accolade and conversation he’s getting, and Walter is entering that conversation.”
Auburn forward Johni Broome is the current front runner, averaging 18.1 points per game and 10.9 rebounds while shooting an efficient 51.4% from the field. Broome and Clayton Jr. just went head-to-head in the Jungle, however, where the Gators came out victorious behind a sensational effort from Clayton Jr.
Clayton Jr. led Florida in scoring with 19 points on 6-11 shooting including 4-8 from three-point range. He also added his UF career high nine assists to go along with a season high six rebounds. Clayton Jr. played a full 40 points in the contest just one game after being sidelined with an ankle injury. He also jammed his finger in the second half of the game.
“What you need your star player to do in an atmosphere and opportunity like that to win,” Golden said on Clayton Jr.’s performance vs Auburn. “I thought he was fantastic from start to finish. I thought he did a great job, first of all, in the condition he’s in, being out Tuesday against Vanderbilt, then being able to come back and play 40 minutes against the No. 1 team in America. Just showed incredible resolve. Just did a great job taking what the defense gave him, being aggressive, scoring in the first half. Listen, we knew, especially toward the end of the first half, that Auburn’s game plan was evolving into taking the ball out of hands and trying to make someone else beat them. I thought he did a great job in the second half not overdribbling [and] moving the ball to the open guy. When they start putting two on him he was allowing Condo [Alex Condon] and Tommy [Thomas Haugh] to make the plays. He just struck an incredible balance of being aggressive scoring, obviously he had nine assists and did a great job of finding his teammates. Just played an incredible floor game.”
From aggressive full court passes to logo triples, Clayton Jr. did it all against Auburn on Saturday evening.
“He knows I’m pretty open to him being aggressive,” Golden said on Clayton’s range. “I loved his first 3 from the logo. The one in the second half I was a big fan of. Catching the throw ahead from Denzel, I think, one dribble, pull up from about 27. That looked perfect as soon as it left his hand. It’s a weapon, you know. And when teams are mindful of having to try to prevent that as soon as he crosses the court, it opens up the floor a little bit more. So, he knows he has a green light.”
Clayton Jr. was recently named to the Bob Cousy Midseason Watch List, which awards the top point guard in college basketball. Clayton Jr. is one of ten finalists, joining Mark Sears and Zakai Zeigler from the SEC.