Florida guard Walter Clayton reportedly withdraws from 2024 NBA Draft
Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. has reportedly made his decision on the 2024 NBA Draft. Clayton is returning to school for his senior season, according to Jon Rothstein.
This past season was Clayton’s first at Florida after transferring in from Iona. He played and started in all 36 games for the Gators in 2023-24. The 6-foot-3 standout averaged 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 43.2% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc.
In his two seasons at Iona, Clayton averaged 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per contest while shooting 44.9% from the floor. Florida finished this season with a 24-12 record before ultimately falling to No. 10 Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Walter Clayton Jr. played high school basketball at Bartow in Florida where he was an unranked prospect in the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Clayton had nothing but good things to say about his experience at Florida thus far after the team’s season-ending loss.
“It means a lot,” Clayton said. “I hope it means a lot to everybody. I think it does. Just coming back and trying to build something here. This is kind of a stepping stone to keep on moving forward.”
Clayton was one of four transfers Florida head coach Todd Golden recruited to compete for the Gators this season. Golden had a lot of positive things to say about Walter Clayton following his first season in Gainesville.
“Walt is a fantastic player. Got a lot of heart, got a lot of belief,” Golden said after the Colorado loss. “He believed the whole time that we could get back in the game. Did a great job attacking the rim late, obviously hit that big three to tie it up. He’s a stud, man. He’s a Gator. We’re fortunate to have him.”
Florida guard Will Richard also withdrew from 2024 NBA Draft
In addition to Walter Clayton Jr., fellow Florida guard Will Richard also recently withdrew from the 2024 NBA Draft.
Richard averaged 11.4 points per game during his junior season with the Gators. He began his collegiate career at Belmont. With Belmont in 2021-2022, he averaged 12.1 points, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He also shot 32.6% from three-point range and 80.4% from the free throw line.
When he declared for the draft, Richard issued the following statement. “I’m excited to announce that I will be declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining my eligibility,” he wrote. “In the event that I return to college, I will be returning to (none) other than the University of Florida. I have every desire to fulfill my dreams of playing in the NBA and will allow for the process, and feedback from NBA teams to make a draft decision.”