Walter Clayton Jr. facts for kids
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Clayton with Florida in 2023
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| No. 1 – Florida Gators | |
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| Point guard / shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 6, 2003 Sebring, Florida, U.S. |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| League | Southeastern Conference |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Walter Marterry Clayton Jr. (born March 6, 2003) is an American college basketball player. He plays for the Florida Gators in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In 2025, he was named a top college player, known as a consensus first-team All-American. Walter started his college basketball journey with the Iona Gaels.
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Walter's Early Life and High School Basketball
Walter Clayton Jr. was born in Sebring, Florida. When he was 10, his family moved to Lake Wales, Florida. He first went to Lake Wales High School. There, he played both football and basketball. In his second year, he scored about 17.5 points per game. He also grabbed five rebounds and made 3.2 assists per game.
After his second year, Walter moved to Bartow High School. In his first year at Bartow, he averaged 15.4 points, 4.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game. His team, the Yellow Jackets, won the Florida Class 6A state championship that year. Walter decided to play college basketball for Iona. He chose Iona over offers from several other schools.
Walter was also a very good football player. Many thought he had a better chance to play football in college. He started playing football in high school because his friend, Gervon Dexter, encouraged him. Top football programs like Florida and Notre Dame offered him a spot.
Walter's College Basketball Journey
Walter played his first year at Iona. He averaged 7.3 points per game. In his second year, he became the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Year. This award meant he was the best player in his conference. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game that season. After this great season, Walter decided to look for a new college team. This process is called entering the NCAA transfer portal.
Walter chose to transfer to the Florida Gators. He also thought about joining St. John's. That team was coached by his former Iona coach, Rick Pitino.
Playing for the Florida Gators
In his first year at Florida, Walter averaged 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. He was named Second-Team All-SEC. This means he was one of the best players in the Southeastern Conference. He helped the Gators reach the SEC Tournament Championship. This was their first time in 10 years. He also helped them get into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years. In the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Walter scored 33 points against Colorado. It was an amazing game, even though the Gators lost.
After the 2023–24 season, Walter thought about entering the NBA Draft. But he decided to stay at Florida for his senior year. This decision led to one of the best seasons in Florida basketball history for him. He helped lead Florida to a 27-4 record in the regular season. He averaged 17.2 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.8 rebounds.
During this season, Walter led Florida to big wins. They beat No. 1 Tennessee and won at No. 1 Auburn. This was the first time Florida had ever beaten a No. 1 team on the road. He also helped Florida achieve their best overall and SEC record in 11 years. People praised Walter for helping bring Florida basketball back to success. After the regular season, he was named a first-team All-SEC player. On March 18, 2025, Walter was named a first-team All-American.
Winning the National Championship
Walter then led the Gators to the national championship. In the final game, he made a key defensive play. He stopped Houston's Emanuel Sharp from taking a potential game-winning shot. Sharp lost the ball, and Walter's teammate Alex Condon grabbed it. This play sealed the Gators' third national championship ever. It was their first championship since 2007. Walter was named the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) of the tournament.
Walter's College Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led NCAA Division I |
College Game Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Iona | 32 | 4 | 16.1 | .434 | .357 | .787 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 7.3 |
| 2022–23 | Iona | 32 | 31 | 30.4 | .455 | .431 | .953* | 4.3 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 16.8 |
| 2023–24 | Florida | 36 | 36 | 31.0 | .432 | .365 | .877 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 17.6 |
| 2024–25 | Florida | 39 | 39 | 32.6 | .448 | .386 | .875 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 18.3 |
| Career | 130 | 101 | 27.5 | .441 | .379 | .875 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 14.8 | |
Walter's Family Life
Walter's mother is Cherie Ann Quarg. She played softball and basketball in high school. His father is Walter Clayton Sr. He played basketball and football in high school. Walter Jr. and his girlfriend, Tatiyana Burney, have a daughter. She was born during Walter's second year of college.
