Rick Pitino compares Walter Clayton Jr. to Jalen Brunson amid monster NBA playoff run

Walter Clayton Jr. is set to showcase his skills at the 2025 NBA Combine in Chicago next week in the hopes of solidifying his status as a first-round draft pick. After leading the Florida Gators to a national championship last month, he’s one of the most discussed names in the draft cycle.

Thanks to his success on the court, he’s been projected as a first-round pick in multiple mock drafts. Clayton’s head coach at Iona, Rick Pitino, vouched for his former point guard ahead of the combine — making a bold comparison in the process.

“Just think of what a big time winner Jalen Brunson is, now pencil in Walter Clayton Jr. There you go,” Pitino tweeted. “Just Win baby!”

The comparison comes at a time when Brunson, a star for the New York Knicks, have the reigning NBA champions Boston Celtics down 2-0 in their series in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Brunson also finished top 10 in scoring and assists during the regular season.

Regardless of the comparison, Pitino isn’t wrong about Clayton being a winner. In four years — two at Iona, two at Florida — Clayton compiled a 112-32 record during his college career. Only once did a team Clayton played for lose more than 10 games, which came in 2023-24 when Florida finished the season 24-12.

Clayton went 52-16 while playing for Pitino’s Gaels, and went 60-16 with the Gators. This culminated in the past season’s 36-4 season, which saw Clayton help lead the Gators to the third national title in program history.

During Florida’s national title run, Clayton averaged 32.6 minutes, 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Moreover, he shot 44.8-percent from the field, 38.6-percent from 3, and 87.5-percent from the free-throw line, which all projects well at the next level.

He was named a first-team All-American by multiple publications and was a finalist for the Naismith College Player of the Year award, finishing behind Auburn‘s Johni Broome and the winner, Duke’s Cooper Flagg.

The 2025 NBA Combine is set to begin on May 11 in Chicago, and will run throughout the week until its conclusion on May 18. Clayton will be one of three players from Florida’s national championship team participating in the combine, as Alex Condon and Alijah Martin were also invited.

Likewise, Will Richard and Rueben Chinyelu were invited to the NBA G League Elite Camp from May 9-11. Both Condon and Chinyelu have the option to return to Florida, or the collegiate level, next season as juniors while the other three have exhaused their college eligibility. Each of these players will be performing with the hopes of hearing their name called during the 2025 NBA Draft, which is slated for June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.