‘Can't lose at the crib’: Walter Clayton Jr., Gators look to bounce back vs. Vandy

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Walter Clayton Jr. hit two of the Gators’ biggest shots of the season in their 94-91 win at Kentucky. His 3-pointer with 3.0 seconds remaining in regulation forced overtime, and then hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:35 left to play in the extra period.

Clayton had another chance for some late-game heroics in Wednesday’s loss at Alabama. He couldn’t connect on a go-ahead 3 late in regulation and then missed a game-tying 3 on Florida’s last possession in overtime. Clayton was confident with both shots.

“I thought they was all cash. They all felt good,” he said. “I know the one at the beginning of overtime kind of went in and out. The rim was pretty hard, but I don’t know. Everybody, they just keep on telling me to keep shooting. They trust me so I’m gonna just let it fly.”

Clayton did in Tuscaloosa, putting up his most attempts from the floor (24) and from downtown (16) in his career. He led all scorers with 27 points, one shy of his season high, marking his fourth straight 20-point game and 10th overall this season.

Clayton is scoring at a high level, averaging 20 points in his last six games, but would like to be more efficient shooting the basketball.

“I didn’t even know I shot that many until after the game. Looking at that, it was a little bad to be honest,” Clayton said of his 37.5% mark against Alabama. “Could probably put the ball in the basket a little more efficiently, that’s what I think.”

Clayton and the Gators look to get back in the win column Saturday against Vanderbilt. Tip is at 1 p.m. on SEC Network and it will be the fifth straight sellout in the O’Dome for a Saturday conference game.

“Obviously coming off a loss, back on our home floor. Can’t lose at the crib,” Clayton said. “so it’s very important.”

Florida is 11-1 at home this season and has won five straight in league play.

Walter Clayton Q&A

On what he saw from their defense to be aggressive with his shot: 

Clayton: “They were having a hard show at the beginning, so just attacking the screens. Later in the game they kind of messed us up at the beginning of overtime with their switching. So they kind of switched that up. Just yeah, one-on-one matchups, ZP, all guys just finding me on a couple of them 3s.”

On Alex Condon taking an elbow to the head:

Clayton: “He should have said something to us. We ain’t even know. A situation like that, we told him that you gotta just say something to us. We ain’t know what happened, so. It’s kind of crazy, though.”

On what he saw on film rewatching the game:

Clayton: “It was rough. I want to say we were up 10 with seven or eight (minutes) to go. And literally I told them in the huddle, I was like, ‘They’re panicking. The only way they’re going to come back right now is if they hit a bunch of 3s.’ And they strung off like three in a row. So I think that kind of got them back in the game and then, I don’t know, throughout the whole game it felt like they would kind of come back, we’d build like a six- or eight-point lead and they keep on fighting back. But, you know, they’ve won before, so they’re probably comfortable in those situations.”

On whether he jinxed them with his comment in the huddle:

Clayton: “Nah. I wouldn’t say that. You just can’t give them up, you know. I knew that’s what they wanted. They’re known for their 3-point shooting. I knew that’s what they wanted. So, just can’t give them up.”

On what happened with the back-to-back 3s by Sam Walters: 

Clayton: “I think one of them was a transition play. Another one was just, I think somebody helped and they didn’t need the help. I think we were big on playing like 2-on-2, middle of the floor on their ball screen. So I think somebody held off the corner and he got open 3.”

On another sellout crowd at home for Saturday’s game:

Clayton: “It has meant a lot. Obviously we’ve been working hard, trying to win games for the fan base, you know. So them just coming out and showing their support, showing they believe in us, it means a lot.”

On what he sees from Vanderbilt on film: 

Clayton: “Great offensive sets. They run great sets. They get great shots. So I think just being locked into our assignments, if you gotta lock and trail, you do that. Just everybody doing their job on defense, I think that’s gonna be one of the main things.”

On his message to players about not overlooking Vandy:

Clayton: “Just come out and treat them as if they’re Bama or treat them as if they’re Kentucky or treat them as if they’re the best team in the country. You know, just can’t let up. Because in college basketball, anything can happen any night. So just gotta come out and do what we do.”

On Alabama jumping to a 7-point lead in OT:

Clayton: “Going back and watching the film we got some, a couple of bad possessions that being in overtime, because they went in and switched, starting switching on their defense, switched Grant Nelson onto ZP the first possession, the three I took the second time was tough, the first one it wasn’t a great shot, but you know obviously it had a chance. I think that’s the main thing their defense switched up.”

 On handling fatherhood this season:

Clayton: “They come here, she’s actually going to be here tonight, so they usually come up for some home games, and she’s back at home with the rest of the family in Lake Wales, she’s got a lot of support around her, a lot of help. So obviously if she’s up here with me it will be just us two, so, there’s a lot of help back home.”

On if he’s changing diapers:

 Clayton: “When she’s here for sure.”

On if his baby keeps him up the night before a game:

 Clayton: “Nah, I think I’ll be good.”

 On his success in SEC this season:

Clayton: “I don’t know if I would say veteran, but I’ve just got some experience you know, college basketball is college basketball. We played some good teams when I was at Iona, to be honest. I think once you get the experience of any level of college basketball you just kind of get this confidence like my old coach, Coach Pitino used to say freshmen are freshmen, they do freshmen things and as you grow you just keep learning, so I think that’s a lot just experience.”

On Pitino’s tirade about St. John’s is the crazier thing he’s heard from him:

Clayton: “Nowhere near. I had some meetings with Coach P at 1 a.m., but that’s just Coach P. I’m the same way, I hate to lose, obviously it’s tough feelings after you lose. I think it’s big with him, how are you going to respond, he got on us, 1-2 a.m. and we went on a 14, 15-game win streak. So I just think he wants his guys to respond.”

On if he was glad he came to UF when he heard those comments:

Clayton: “I don’t know. I guess I’m kind of used to that, but I don’t know man. That’s just Coach P, not a lot of people understand the mindset of that.”

 On Pitino’s response to a loss compared to Todd Golden:

Clayton: “Um, completely different. They are kind of two different personalities. They are just kind of like complete opposites, to be honest. Coach Golden will try to keep you a little more uplifted, Coach P will just tear you down.”

On has fast this season has flown by:

Clayton: “I wouldn’t say flown by. Once you look back at it, it can seem like it’s flown by but just coming in here every day, grinding it out, during the process. It’s long. After you look back at it, it like flew by, but I don’t really think so.”

On if the process has been rewarding for him:

Clayton: “I guess you could say that, from all the work we done put in, but obviously we’ve got to finish it so we definitely have to win these games.”

On what he’s proven about his game this year:

Clayton: “I don’t really know. I just go out there and play basketball. Could probably put the ball in the basket a little more efficiently, that’s what I think. But yeah, just going out there and playing basketball. I don’t think about the rest, just take it day by day.”