Jeff BorzelloApr 7, 2025, 11:19 PM ET
Close Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Open Extended Reactions
SAN ANTONIO — On Florida‘s side, the lead-up to Monday’s national championship game almost entirely centered on Walter Clayton Jr. The All-American guard was on a run not seen since Shabazz Napier and Kemba Walker carried UConn to a pair of titles in 2011 and 2014.
It was immediately evident that Houston‘s scouting report focused on Clayton too.
After scoring a combined 64 points in his previous two games, Clayton didn’t score his first point until the 14:57 mark of the second half against the Cougars. He didn’t make his first field goal until there was 7:54 left in the game. It was the recipe for a comfortable Houston championship win, inevitably continuing the narrative about the Cougars’ top-ranked defense.
But Florida’s supporting cast kept the Gators in the game just long enough for Clayton to get going in the second half, erasing a 12-point deficit on their way to a 65-63 win. Clayton was selected the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player after finishing with 11 points and seven assists Monday night.
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