Florida basketball practicing for Sweet 16 showdown with Maryland
Florida basketball guards go through shooting drills during the open portion of UF’s Sweet 16 practice at the Chase Center on Wednesday.
- Clayton leads the Gators with an average of 17.9 points per game and has hit 97 three-pointers this season.
- Florida coach Todd Golden acknowledges the Curry comparisons, noting Clayton’s off-balance shooting and confidence in taking deep shots.
- Golden also sees similarities between Clayton’s playing style and New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, particularly in his ability to handle the ball and make plays.
SAN FRANCISCO ― When Maryland coach Kevin Willard was asked who Florida basketball senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr. reminds him of, he looked across the practice court in the bowels of the Chase Center where the Golden State Warriors train.
“I mean, one of them is sitting right there holding a trophy,” Williard said, pointing to a picture of Steph Curry. “He reminds me of Steph a little bit of how good he is off the dribble.”
Willard then elaborated on the Clayton-Curry comparison.
“It really is amazing that he shoots — like we get a scouting report done by our analytical company,” Willard said. “And he grades better than any player they’ve ever had analytically shooting the basketball off the dribble going right off the dribble, going left — if you go under pick-and-rolls, what he shoots.”
Clayton, averaging 23.0 points in two NCAA Tournament games, has fueled a Florida Gators‘ offense that ranks fourth in the country in scoring at 85.4 points per game. He will get a chance to continue lead UF in the house that Steph Curry built, the Chase Center, when No. 1 seed Florida (32-4) faces No. 4 seed Maryland (27-8) on Thursday night in the Sweet 16 (7:39 p.m. ET, TBS and TruTV).
Curry helped the lead the Golden State Warriors to four NBA championships, spearheading the franchise’s move in 2019 from an antiquated arena in Oakland to its new palatial downtown digs on the shores of the San Francisco Bay.
The 6-foot-3 Clayton shrugged off the Curry comparisons, despite similarities that include a quick release and deep shooting range.
“I don’t know if I would compare myself to Steph,” Clayton said. “That’s one of the greatest ever, if not the greatest point guard. (He) changed the game. Thankful to kind of be getting those comparisons, be compared to such a great player.”
Why others compare Florida basketball guard Walter Clayton Jr to Steph Curry
But Florida teammates can see why he’s considered the college version of Steph, which was coined by ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams.
“He shoots the ball at a very high level, so I get the comparisons,” Florida senior guard Will Richard said. “We see him work out too. We can see it as well.”
A consensus first-team All-American, Clayton (17.9 ppg, 4.2 apg) has drained 97 3-pointers this season and holds the UF record by making at least one 3-pointer in 59 straight games. None of the 3-pointers were bigger than the two he drained in the final three minutes last Sunday, which helped the Gators rally back from down six points and beat UConn 77-75 to advance to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2017.
“He’s done a great job setting up teammates all year,” Florida basketball coach Todd Golden said. “He’s turned into a really complete player, especially on the offensive end. He’s done a great job leading our team all year.”
As for the Curry comparisons, Golden said, “You can pull a lot of similarities from his style of play to NBA players. Obviously, the way he shoots the basketball. Especially to people in the Bay, it might be crazy to compare him to Steph — he’s won a ton of championships and MVPs. But from a college version, I think it’s applicable to say he’s similar to Steph. His off-balance shooting, his ability to get his shot off at different times and just his confidence to let it fly from deep. I think those things are very similar to compare to Steph.”
Golden offered another NBA comparison to Clayton ― New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson.
“He plays a lot like Jalen Brunson, the way he can handle the ball, but get off it, get the ball back and be a playmaker, decision-maker,” Golden said.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1
