A one-man show from Clayton has Florida playing for title
JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES - HOUSTON 70, DUKE 67:
Mylik Wilson, left, and J’Wan Roberts helped spearhead Houston’s
comeback from a 14-point deficit to defeat Duke on Saturday night.
6 Apr 2025 - The Washington Post Sunday
SAN ANTONIO — No other Florida Gator wanted to shoot the basketball. It was a task for Walter Clayton Jr. — and only him — and his teammates went to hilarious strides to yield to their charismatic leading scorer. On one critical possession, they zipped passes all over the court. Alex Condon was open; he declined to launch. Thomas Haugh said no thanks to a great look. The ball kept swinging until it found Clayton again. He knew what to do with it, and everyone at the Alamodome knew what to anticipate. The Stephen Curry stunt double was about to dash into the paint.
He drove left, absorbed a blow from Auburn guard Denver Jones, then banked in a two-foot shot as the referee blew the whistle. After he made a free throw to complete the threepoint play, Florida led by six with 1:33 remaining. Despite all the time on the clock, the outcome was inevitable because of one undeniable factor.
Florida has Clayton, the best closer in men’s college basketball. And Auburn did not. The game became that simple Saturday night. After a shaky first half, Florida found its balance and held off Auburn, 79-73, to advance to the NCAA championship game.
To lead the Gators to the Final Four, Clayton had made clutch shot after clutch shot in narrow victories over Connecticut in the second round and Texas Tech in the Elite Eight. During his college career, it has become ordinary to see him turn on the electricity at any moment. But even if it’s expected, it’s still spectacular to witness.
Clayton finished with 34 points. He made 11 of 18 shots, including 5 of 8 from three-point range. He made all seven of his free throws. The Auburn defense tried just about everything. The Tigers faceguarded and denied him the ball. They blew up ball screens to force him to pass. Clayton was patient, and when there was an opportunity, he used his quick release and guided long jumpers into the net, or he drove to the basket with a running back’s fearlessness.
“Just reading and reacting to the defense,” he said matter-offactly after the game. “I know I’ve got weapons around me.”
At this point, Clayton is bored with talking about his theatrics. His low-key nature makes his performances seem even greater. And his teammates have adopted his power of understatement.
When a reporter asked three Gators to describe what it’s like to watch Clayton, they passed around the same compliment just like they whipped those passes around the perimeter.
“Special, to be honest,” guard Will Richard said. “He’s special.” “Special,” Haugh agreed. “Special,” guard Alijah Martin added.
What can you say about Clayton that your eyes can’t see?
He’s having one of the greatest March runs in history. He’s averaging 24.6 points in this tournament and followed up his 30-point heroics against Texas Tech with Saturday’s gem, making him the first men’s player since Larry Bird in 1979 to score at least 30 in the Elite Eight and Final Four.
Bird was 6-foot-9 and destined for NBA stardom. Clayton is 6-2 and not guaranteed anything at the next level, except for a chance. And that’s all he needs. He doesn’t have to be the next big thing. He’s fine being Mr. Right Now, and at the moment, that makes him the most dangerous player in America.
“I feel like everybody sees it,” Richard said. “He’s poised, calm and collected and confident in himself.”
Florida trailed 49-40 in the second half before turning the game around. The Gators played with more physicality inside. They turned up their defense. They limited Auburn allAmerican forward Johni Broome, who scored just three of his 15 points in the second half.
In the first half, as Auburn built a 46-38 lead, the Tigers’ might inside made the difference. Throughout the season, Florida has dominated with its frontcourt depth, including a rotation of four quality post players. But those big bodies weren’t an advantage early. The Tigers outscored the Gators 26-14 in the paint during the first 20 minutes.
It wasn’t just Broome, either. Beyond throwing it to the big man, the Auburn perimeter players drove relentlessly to the basket and finished in traffic. Florida struggled with the quickness and force that the Tigers exhibited.
The game began with a flurry of great shot-making and thrilling end-to-end basketball. The teams combined for 30 points in the first 51/2 minutes. Auburn led 16-14. Clayton made two early three-pointers on his way to 14 first-half points. Broome scored six quick points, and Auburn forward Chad Baker-Mazara made a couple of three-pointers and scored all eight of his first-half points during the opening blitz. The teams could not sustain the pace, but that’s how you’re supposed to start a Final Four. It seldom happens, however, because the stage is so grand and nerve-racking.
“We did not have an answer for their physicality in the paint,” Florida Coach Todd Golden said of the first half. “Our game plan, we weren’t executing it very well, and it wasn’t working very well. We have to get back to doing what we do and executing in a positive way.”
They got back to their game after the break, starting with Martin’s defense and high-flying dunks. And then Clayton did the rest.
“We trust him in those situations,” said Haugh, who had 12 points and seven rebounds. “He knocks down big shots day after day.”
On Monday night, Clayton and the Gators will try to win the program’s third national title. He grew up admiring Kemba Walker, who went on a historic postseason tear in 2011. Asked if he was imitating Walker, Clayton flashed a slight smile.
“I wouldn’t say imitation,” he said. “I try to be my own person.”
Oh, he’s his own man. From now on, we might be comparing others to Clayton.
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