Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. Becomes First Player Since Larry Bird to Hit Scoring Milestone in Final Four

Clayton popped off in the Gators' Final Four win over Auburn.

Florida Gators star Walter Clayton Jr. shoots a basket. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Florida is headed to their first national championship game since 2007, and the Gators can thank star Walter Clayton Jr. for helping them reach the title game.

Clayton exploded in Saturday's Final Four 79-73 win over Auburn, finishing with 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting, His 34-point outing was the second game in a row in which Clayton totaled at least 30 points, as he scored 30 points vs. Texas Tech in the Elite Eight.

With that stat line, Clayton became the first player since Larry Bird in 1979 to notch back-to-back 30-point games in the Elite Eight and Final Four, via ESPN Stats & Info. Pretty good company for Clayton to share.

Via @ESPNStatsInfo: Walter Clayton Jr. is the first player with back-to-back 30-point games in the Elite Eight and national semifinals since Larry Bird in 1979.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 6, 2025

Will Clayton pop off for another 30-plus point game in the national title game on Monday night? We'll see what happens, but it wouldn't be surprising based on how he's been playing in this year's NCAA tournament.

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