Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. enters 2024 NBA Draft, maintains eligibility

On Monday, Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. announced he will be entering his name into the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility. This past season was Clayton’s first at Florida. He spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Iona.

“I am grateful for being able to come home this past year and be a part of something special being built here in Gainesville,” Clayton wrote. “With the support of Coach Golden, Coach McCray, and the rest of the staff, I want to announce I will be entering my name into the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility for the option to return to no other than the University of Florida. Thank you to everyone for the support!”

In the 2023-24 season, Clayton played and started in all 36 games for Florida. 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.

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Walter Clayton Jr. played high school basketball at Bartow (FL), 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 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 couldn’t be more thankful for Clayton’s impact on the program.

“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.”