Walter Clayton Jr., the star of the 2025 NCAA Champion Florida Gators, is carrying his scorching sizzling inventory proper into this upcoming draft. At the moment, As of now, Clayton is projected in our Aggregate Mock Draft as a late first-round choose heading into the Mix.
Clayton initially performed his faculty profession at Iona with Rick Pitino, after which transferred to Florida for his junior and senior years, the place he excelled. He declared for the draft final season, however admitted returning to high school was among the finest choices of his life.
The 2025 Closing 4 Most Excellent Participant spoke with HoopsHype lately concerning the draft course of, his mindset, the magical run with Florida this season, and extra.
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Walter Clayton Jr: I’m positively ready, been out at LA, signed with Klutch, so we’ve simply been within the gymnasium daily getting ready, me and the opposite group of men to prepare for what’s coming on the Mix.
WC: I imply, it’s at all times been a dream of mine since I used to be a child. One thing I stay up for hopefully conducting in my life and I feel simply being at Iona helped me acquire loads of expertise. I’m grateful for the journey that I had and having the ability to come again residence to Florida and play for the Gators. So simply grateful for the entire journey.
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WC: It was nice. I’ve been blessed with loads of coaches who’ve given me various things that I’ve wanted at totally different instances of my life. These two years with Coach P was about psychological toughness, so simply going to the gymnasium with him daily, listening to his voice, I needed to come into it robust.
WC: Yeah, his entire factor was simply every day habits. You gotta be sure to get 1 p.c higher daily. He was within the gymnasium daily having particular person exercises. In that observe, simply present up and provides it your all.
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WC: I wouldn’t say something modified so far as work clever. I had an ideal highschool coach, was an ideal highschool program. We gained two state championships, there’s loads of historical past there. However simply adjusted to the velocity of the sport every time I received to school, issues like that sort of having that freshman bounce.
WC: Yeah, for positive. I imply, these ideas sort of at all times run by your thoughts, however I’m large on simply being wherever my toes are at, being current within the second. So again in these Iona days, I used to be nervous about subsequent observe, the following recreation, the following exercise.
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WC: Nah, by no means. I ended up enjoying two years of highschool soccer. I used to be sort of pressured into it by all people round me. Rising up the place I’m from, you gotta play two sports activities. So every time I received to highschool, I attempted to cease and stick with strictly to basketball, however ended up enjoying for 2 years. After which lastly made that non-public resolution to switch to basketball program, give them my all on this.
WC: For positive, I positively assume I matured at Florida. Simply clearly was a 12 months older this 12 months. Having one 12 months below my belt, enjoying below Coach Golden. This 12 months was actually nice, man. We had nice guys on and off the ground. We spent loads of time collectively. And it’s feeling every time each time you stroll into the gymnasium, you see one among your teammates in there figuring out. So it simply instilled a belief in us, simply seeing one another within the gymnasium daily. We simply had one another, we trusted one another in video games, and we was in a position to present that in large moments.
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WC: Yeah, for positive. I feel the second for me personally, and I feel loads of my teammates would agree was the North Carolina recreation. I’m large on simply how folks deal with adversity. So we have been up in that recreation at halftime, they ended up coming again. It was sort of like a impartial away recreation for us in North Carolina. They ended up closing the hole. They have been up 4, I feel it was three minutes to go. All of us sort of got here again to the huddle, nobody was yelling at one another. It was virtually as if we was up by 20, you understand what I’m saying? So we have been simply speaking to one another calmly, sticking collectively. And I feel at that second, that’s after I realized we might do one thing particular.
WC: Yeah, I feel simply one other 12 months within the SEC, adjusting to the physicality much more. I felt like I used to be all proper within the first 12 months, placed on a pair kilos, it was simply higher this 12 months. Simply navigating my approach by the sport, simply being a greater chief, simply rising all year long. So I positively assume my recreation matured in loads of methods. Nonetheless, there’s methods for me to mature.
WC: Me personally, I’ll let different folks do the comparability. Me personally, I don’t do comps. I kinda mentioned it already. I wish to take bits and items from totally different guys’ video games, however I simply attempt to be me.
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WC: Donovan Mitchell is one among them, simply together with his full recreation. He will get in there, by no means will get too deep within the paint. So simply all of the totally different footwork he has with that. Clearly guys like [Stephen] Curry, simply their footwork. Klay Thompson, coming off ball screens, even dribble pull-ups. And simply taking a look at different guys like Jrue Vacation, attempting to take their recreation aside, seeing how I can enhance on the defensive finish of the ball.
WC: I’ve gotten a pair from a pair guys, clearly all of the Gators. After all, Bradley Beal, Joakim Noah, after which actually it was Taurean Inexperienced, one among our assistant coaches this 12 months. He was a back-to-back nationwide champion. So simply having him in my nook these previous few years has been nice for me.
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WC: I feel I’ve simply been attempting to tighten every part up, simply be extra in keeping with every part. So clearly, you gotta ensure the jumper’s nonetheless going, you’re engaged on that heavy, simply getting in a greater form all through this entire pre-draft course of, getting my legs below me. And simply every part – protection – we’re engaged on every part.
WC: I simply wanna be no matter helps the staff win, whether or not that’s a microwave scorer off the bench, or no matter position they wanna put me in, I simply wanna assist the staff win.
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WC: It’s onerous for me personally to speak about myself, however I simply really feel like I transfer my toes effectively on protection. Simply meet folks which might be good factors of contact, fast fingers, in a position to generate steals, and quick break alternatives.
WC: For positive, taking pictures is unquestionably one of many largest issues within the NBA lately, such as you mentioned, with the spacing. So taking pictures the basketball is unquestionably a kind of issues in the direction of the highest of the checklist.
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WC: Me personally? I don’t take note of them in any respect. Everyone has their very own opinion. The choice makers, they’re gonna make their resolution every time the draft day comes, so I don’t take note of them in any respect.
WC: Yeah, for positive, my highschool coach, man, he simply taught me, simply be current. Anytime I might say one thing concerning the future, one time I made a reference, I’m like, this loopy coach who’s gonna win a state championship this 12 months. He was like, hey man, we received observe tomorrow. So simply being current within the second, you understand what I’m saying? For those who look too far forward, it would distract you from the place you’re at within the present second.
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WC: Yeah, for positive, man. On the finish of the day, the one opinions that mattered throughout that entire event run was the those who was residing our program. That was the one voices that mattered, and that’s the best way we saved it as a staff, and the best way we was in a position to keep so tight and make it run.
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WC: Undoubtedly my mother. Clearly, it’s been a protracted journey for me and her. Her simply being there daily and ensuring I had every part I wanted after I was youthful. So I might say my mother.
WC: Yeah, my mother’s largest factor was simply she was letting me do no matter I needed to do with my life, actually, so long as it was on the precise path. She wasn’t gonna let me steer fallacious. So yeah, man, my mother, she simply allowed me to be myself rising up. She by no means pressured something on me. She let me do what I needed in a way of simply going after my objectives.
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WC: LeBron. Simply the best way he impacts the sport, man. He impacts the sport in any respect ranges, whether or not you want anyone to attain. You’re so nervous about him scoring and driving to the basket, you gotta assist. In order that’s creating alternatives for shooters. After which folks say he’s not an ideal defender, man. He’s a fairly good defender, I’m not gonna lie. So I feel LeBron is the GOAT in simply all of the elements of the sport that he impacts.
WC: I imply, clearly, he’s not my GOAT, however MJ. Clearly, I loved watching MJ. Simply his contact within the mid-range, his elevation on his mid-range bounce sho. I beloved Bradley Beal rising up, watching his video games when he was with the Wizards. Clearly, Kyrie clips, simply watching all these guys.
