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Walter Clayton Jr. named to Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 watch list

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi•about 12 hours•

ZachAbolverdi

Walter-Clayton-Jr-Florida-Gators
Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) smiles while sitting on the floor after making a three point basket against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. (Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gators senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr. was named this week to the John R. Wooden Award Men’s Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List, announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Clayton averages a team-leading 17.5 points per game and paces the No. 3-ranked Gators with 64 3-point field goals and 94 assists. Clayton has scored 19 points in back-to-back games to lead the Gators to their first consecutive road wins over ranked opponents in program history.

Clayton has scored 25-plus points six times this season and made four or more 3-pointers in eight games, including his last outing at No. 22 Mississippi State. He also had six assists with one turnover against the Bulldogs after a career-high nine assists in the victory at No. 1 Auburn.

“Listen, we’re undermanned a little bit, we only have seven guys playing and he played like A First Team All-American again,” UF coach Todd Golden said Tuesday night after Clayton’s performance at MSU. “19, six and six, you know, just another incredibly efficient game.

“Six assists, one turnover, plus-21. Guarding, rebounding down, five defensive rebounds, and I can’t say enough about him. He’s an amazing player, he’s gonna be playing the NBA next year, and we’re gonna enjoy him as long as we have him here in Gainesville.”

Clayton ranks among the Southeastern Conference’s top 10 in scoring (eighth, 17.5), field goal percentage (ninth, .454), assists (eighth, 4.0), free throw percentage (fifth, .870), 3-point field goals made (fourth, 2.7), 3-point field goal percentage (sixth, .366) and minutes (10th, 31.8).

Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20

Airious “Ace” Bailey | Rutgers
Johni Broome | Auburn
Walter Clayton Jr. | Florida
Hunter Dickinson | Kansas
Eric Dixon | Villanova
Cooper Flagg | Duke
Keshon Gilbert | Iowa St
PJ Haggerty | Memphis
Dylan Harper | Rutgers
Kasparas Jakučionis | Illinois
Curtis Jones | Iowa State
Kam Jones | Marquette
Ryan Kalkbrenner | Creighton
Alex Karaban | UConn
Chaz Lanier | Tennessee
Ryan Nembhard | Gonzaga
Maxime Raynaud | Stanford
Mark Sears | Alabama
Javon Small | West Virginia
Braden Smith | Purdue

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