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Walter Clayton Jr. in one word? Florida players give unanimous response
By Paul Harvey
Published:
This year’s March Madness can best be described as the Walter Clayton Jr. show with the star guard for Florida taking over games time and time again. That was the case once again in a dramatic Final Four win over Auburn.
In the Elite Eight, it was Clayton coming alive late in the game to spearhead a dramatic comeback from 9 points down. On Saturday, he kept things rolling with 14 first-half points before exploding in the second half.
After the break, Clayton poured in 20 points for a game-high 34, giving him back-to-back games in the Elite Eight and the Final Four with 30+ points. It’s the kind of accomplishment that has not been produced since the days of Larry Bird, and it’s hard to adequately describe this one for Clayton.
After Saturday’s win, Clayton’s Florida teammates were asked for a one-word description of the superstar’s game. Will Richard, Thomas Haugh and Alijah Martin all delivered the same word.
“Special.”
For context, Clayton blew past Florida’s record for the most points scored in a single NCAA Tournament. Joakim Noah previously set the mark with 97 in 2006. Clayton is now at 123 and has a chance to add even more in Monday’s title game.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
