Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. has been one of the breakout stars of the NCAA Tournament. The First-Team All-American for the Gators didn’t start his college career at Florida, though. In fact, his road to Gainesville has been anything but the traditional one.
It could have been simple. He was certainly good enough to get offered a scholarship to play for the Gators. But he turned it down, which seemed inconceivable at the time. It was his dream school. And it was there for the taking. But he still said no because they wanted him to play safety, not point guard.
Clayton was a two-sport star in high school. But at the time, he was clearly better at football than on the basketball court. And being a football star in the hottest hotbed of high school football in the country meant you were a big deal. Growing up in Tallahassee, there were stars everywhere. Yet, Clayton still stood out.
However, despite how good he was at hitting ball carriers, he always preferred hitting jumpers. Basketball was his first love. So, despite getting offers from every Division 1 football program in the country, he chose to play hoops at, of all places, Iona.
Some would say that decision is brave. Others would say it’s crazy. But Clayton knew what he wanted. So he turned down full rides to Alabama, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Florida State, West Virginia, and others to play hoops for Rick Pitino in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Imagine turning down the opportunity to play in front of 100,000 fans at The Swamp every Saturday to play for a packed house of 2,578 at the Hynes Athletic Center against the likes of Canisius, Marist, and Quinnipiac. But that’s what Clayton did. And it worked.
After being named the MAAC Player of the Year in 2023, he went on to score 15 points against UConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies would go on to win their first of two straight national titles that year. That opened the eyes of coaches around the country and ultimately led him back to Florida. The school he had the chance to play for two years earlier.
This year, Clayton’s one of the stars of the tourney, a projected NBA lottery pick and two wins away from being a national champion. Clayton Jr. bet on himself, took the path less traveled, and emerged as one of the best stories of the year. Betting against him now would be an act of futility.
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