Saturday night’s Final Four might’ve been the most electrifying evening of the NCAA men’s tournament so far. Two nail-biters that came down to the final minutes left fans buzzing — and full of questions. Who’s to blame for Duke’s collapse? What’s next for Johni Broome? Can Houston sustain its defensive pressure in the title game?
All valid storylines. But there’s one player everyone seems to be sleeping on — Walter Clayton Jr., who proved he was built for this moment.
Clayton delivered what was arguably the best performance of his four-year college career, dropping 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including five 3s. Despite Florida entering the game as slight favorites, the Gators trailed by eight at halftime. Then came Clayton’s second-half takeover. He poured in 20 points, including a clutch and-one layup with his off-hand to give Florida a 3-point lead late.
Fans might’ve felt déjà vu watching Clayton’s Final Four outburst. Just one game earlier, he torched Texas Tech for 30 points on 50% shooting in the Elite Eight. Down nine with three minutes left, Clayton sparked back-to-back threes to give Florida a 78–77 lead. Lightning in a bottle doesn’t even begin to describe it — he’s now averaging 24.6 points on 50/49/91 shooting splits during the tournament.
Walter Clayton Jr. may have played his way into the first round of the NBA Draft
With the championship game against Houston looming, Clayton has one final opportunity to boost his NBA Draft stock. Before the tournament began, FanSided draft expert Chris Kline had him ranked No. 46 on his Big Board. On March 18, Bleacher Report projected him as the 47th pick. By April 5, that projection jumped 21 spots — placing him 26th overall to the Brooklyn Nets. NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor has him one pick higher, going 25th to the Orlando Magic.
O’Connor and others have highlighted Clayton’s elite offense — especially under pressure — as the driving force behind his rise. While questions remain about his defense, few prospects have done more to raise their profile on the biggest stage.
In a draft class headlined by Cooper Flagg, Walter Clayton Jr. is crashing the conversation. He’s become the tournament’s breakout star — and tonight’s title game could be the final push he needs to climb even higher.