Walter Clayton named Final Four Most Outstanding Player
For much of Florida’s thrilling 65-63 win over Houston in Monday’s national championship game, Gators guard Walter Clayton did not play like the Walter Clayton we’re used to seeing. But as Florida rallied from 12 points down in the second half, the All-American was at the center of the epic comeback. For his efforts in San Antonio, Texas, Clayton was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
“All the hard work we put in … it came to fruition,” Clayton said during a live television interview on CBS as the Gators accepted their national championship trophy.
In the final, Clayton, scoreless at the half, finished with 11 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and a block. His lone 3-pointer came with 3:14 left and tied the game at 60-all. For Florida, it was huge for momentum as the Gators trailed most of the game. Florida finished the season 36-4. The national title is the third in program history but first since 2007.
Although Clayton did not have his best game in the final, it’s worth remembering he scored 34 points in Florida’s 79-73 win over Auburn in the semifinals. The Gators rallied from eight points down in the second half of that game as Clayton, a senior from Florida’s Polk County, scored 20 points in the final 20 minutes. In the second half alone, he made three of his game-high five 3-pointers and converted 6 of 9 shots from the field. He also added four rebounds, two assists, and went a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
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In the NCAA Tournament, Clayton averaged 22.3 points a game in six contests. That included four 20-point games and two 30-point games. All told, he made 20 3-pointers. Of note, his other 30-pointer came in Florida’s stunning comeback win over Texas Tech in the West Region finals. Additionally, Clayton became the first player in college basketball since Larry Bird in 1979 to score 30-plus points in both the Elite Eight and the Final Four in consecutive games.
Clayton, who averaged over 18 points a game for the season, set the Florida school record for most points in a single season. Now, he has a national championship to go with it.
