Making the Case for Walter Clayton Jr. to be First Team All-American

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Fresh off a dominate win over Oklahoma on Tuesday, Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden was asked to make a case for star guard Walter Clayton Jr. as a First Team All-American.

To Golden, the argument is simple.

“I mean, I shouldn't have to say too much at this point,” Golden said. “…he's one of the best players in the country - a lead guard that can do it all.”

Clayton Jr. has been one of the best guards in the entire country this year. He’s averaging 17.2 points, 4.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game on 45.6/37.0/87.5 shooting splits this season.

And not only is he doing this in one of the best conferences in the country, but he’s also doing it on one of the best teams in the country. The Gators are all the way up to No. 2 in the AP Top 25, the highest they’ve been since the 2013-14 season.

“When you're the second-best team in America, your best player probably deserves the first team, especially when the guy like Walt has done what he has over the course of the year,” Golden added.

Walter Clayton Jr. tied Michael Frazier II's program record of 41 consecutive games with a made 3-pointer in the fifth-ranked Florida Gators 84-60 win over Texas. | Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

Florida’s star also has found different ways to impact winning this year. A year ago, he was heavily relied upon as just a scorer. The ball wasn’t always in his hands, and he wasn't required as much to make reads and decisions.

Now, the ball is glued to his palms, and for the most part, the outcome has been positive.

He’s nearly doubled his assists this campaign, going from 2.6 to 4.2 per game. Additionally, he’s had 11 games of at least five assists and five games of at least seven assists. Compare this to last year where he only had six games of at least five assists and no games above six assists.

What’s also important to note about this is that despite him having the ball in hands more, the efficiency hasn’t dropped. Although the sample size at this point is 141 shots and 11 games less than his totals from last season, Clayton Jr.'s overall field goal percentage has risen by .024.

It’s even more impressive when you see the shots he’s taking. He’s been letting logo three’s fly without hesitation, shooting spin jumpers near the block and tough driving layups over towering defenders, which his head coach noted.

“Obviously, can score when the team needs it, hits shots that just very few other guys in college basketball would even think about taking, and he does it very well and very efficiently,” Golden said.

"annnnnd buried it"

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Gators 15 | Sooners 8 pic.twitter.com/P384xceCKX
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) February 19, 2025

It’s simple. Clayton Jr. is as impactful as any other player in the country. He can score with the best of them, and he’s made noticeable strides in other areas of his game to show he’s not one dimensional.

And if players such as Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s Johni Broome are being talked about as surefire First Team All-Americans, then Clayton Jr. should be too because of the similar impact he’s having on Florida’s strong season.