Florida Gators senior Walter Clayton Jr. was undoubtedly one of the best players in the men’s NCAA basketball tournament. So what comes next for him?

Walter Clayton Jr. has always been a late bloomer — in basketball, at least. As Clayton has grown into an all-time March Madness hero during the 2025 NCAA tournament, a central part of his lore is that Florida offered him a football scholarship years before he signed with the school out of the transfer portal in basketball.

While his "clutch gene" has been critical to Florida's run, more relevant for NBA purposes is that his ability to shoot off the catch with deep range gives him extreme gravity, while his ability to shoot off the dribble prevents defenders from ever going under ball-screens and thus enhances his playmaking ability.

After capping off an outstanding March Madness run with a 65-63 win over Houston in the national championship game on Monday, Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. was named the 2025 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

Emanuel Sharp had to be consoled after Houston's heartbreaking national championship game loss on Monday night -- but it might not have been from who he expected.

And, thanks to a big finish from star Walter Clayton Jr., the Gators are national champions. Clayton helped lead Florida to a huge comeback to stun Houston and grab a 65-63 win in the national championship game in San Antonio,