Walter Clayton Jr.'s Shift to PG Why Gators Have Chance to Win it All

A decision by Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden to promote from within might have been his best

Clayton has flourished in his high-leverage position | Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Having lost their starting point guard Zyon Pullin from last season, the Florida Gators needed a replacement. That replacement could have come from the transfer portal or high school.  

Instead, Gators head coach Todd Golden opted to promote from within. He shifted star guard Walter Clayton Jr. from an off-the-ball guard to one where the ball was always in his hands. This move led them to being in the national championship.

“Watching him play pickup, pushing the ball in transition, he showed to us and proved to us that he could do that, become the primary ball handler, lead the team,“ said Golden on Sunday. 

It’s not as seamless as it sounds, though. This transition into becoming a player with the ball primarily in his hands means the decision making, conditioning and overall offensive game has to be better. The player can’t just be his old self and rely on catch-and-shoot opportunities, but Golden believes all the concerns surrounding his move to point guard at the beginning of the season have been squashed. 

“Obviously, Walter has quieted those concerns and has led us to the national championship game,” Golden said. 

Luckily for the Gators, this wasn’t a first-time thing for Clayton Jr. 

“I played point guard in my life before,” Clayton Jr. said. “I've had the ball in my hands.”

With the output from Clayton Jr. at point guard, the Gators bested their season win total from last year by 11 wins and are fighting for a National Championship to bring home to Gainesville. It also led to him becoming the Gators' first-ever first team All-American. 

Although it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows during this switch to point guard, there have been some bumps. He has negatively increased his turnovers from 2.2 a game last year to 2.4 a game this year. 

However, with the offensive production positively spiking upwards as much as it did, the tradeoff was worth it. Through 38 games, Clayton Jr. is averaging a career-high 18.5 points per game on 45.1/39.2/87.1 shooting splits. Furthermore, in five games in the NCAA Tournament, he’s averaging 24.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 50/48.7/90.5 shooting splits. 

Walter Clayton Jr this tournament:

24.6 PPG on 50/49/91% pic.twitter.com/zZ3Znh05GR

— Real Sports (@realapp_) April 6, 2025

Clayton Jr. having this type of production in the biggest games of the year hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. ESPN’s Jay Williams stated after Florida’s Final Four win where Clayton Jr. had 34 points that he would take him as high as the No. 2 pick behind Duke’s Cooper Flagg. 

Williams then doubled down on this in an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up. 

“I have to tell you from watching him up close. I could make the case he could be the second or third pick in the NBA Draft,” Williams said. “I know Dylan Harper. I know Ace Bailey.They have a ton of talent, but the run this guy is on, the shots he makes, combine Damian Lillard and Steph Curry.”

The National Championship game between the Gators and the Houston Cougars takes place Monday night at 8:50 p.m. EDT and will be televised on CBS.