SAN FRANCISCO — Everybody contained in the constructing at Chase Middle on Saturday knew if push got here to shove, first-team All-America guard Walter Clayton Jr. would take the shot.
Clayton knew he needed to take it. His Florida teammates believed he would make it.
Some moments in March throughout the NCAA Event are so unforgettable they depart you speechless and have you ever looking for a similar spotlight a decade from now. Clayton’s go-ahead 3-pointer with 59 seconds left, which erased a 10-point deficit with 6:18 remaining and helped No. 1 seed Florida safe a dramatic 84-79 win over No. 3 seed Texas Tech within the Elite Eight, is a kind of magical March reminiscences that may stay on for eternity.
“There isn’t a one else we’d fairly have take that shot on the finish of the sport,” Florida middle Alex Condon informed CBS Sports activities. “He has that clutch gene. Each time we’d like a shot from him, it comes from him … We’ve got guys who’ve huge nuts on this group and are prepared to take the large shot. He is a kind of guys.”
Down two with a minute left, Clayton dribbled into the paint, pulled the ball out from contained in the arc, and in rhythm took a 3-pointer falling again that spun contained in the cylinder earlier than dropping within the hoop. Clayton scored 13 of his 30 factors throughout the closing 5:24 in regulation, which arrange a date in subsequent weekend’s nationwide semifinal in San Antonio towards the winner of No. 1 seed Auburn and No. 2 seed Michigan State.
“I used to be simply hoping the ball went in,” Clayton stated. “We saved telling one another we had been in his scenario earlier than. We got here collectively and obtained the job completed. I grew up in Florida, so this implies somewhat extra to me.”
After being down by 9 factors with lower than three minutes to go, Florida — a group that had seemed untouchable and unbeatable over the past month — was on the ropes. Then, reserve huge man Thomas Haugh jump-started the run with back-to-back 3-pointers. Clayton adopted it up with the second-biggest 3-pointer he would hit within the closing two minutes to tie the sport at 75.
“The under-four media (timeout) was the one that stands proud,” Florida coach Todd Golden stated. “We had been down 9 or 10, no matter it was. The message was we have got to make each profitable play down the stretch.”
CBS Sports activities Analysis
If Clayton happening a late tear sounds acquainted, it is as a result of it’s. That is what he does. Six days in the past, he the senior put defending nationwide champ UConn on ice in an exciting Spherical of 32 sport. From David Cobb’s CBSSports.com dispatch:
The 2-time reigning nationwide champions proceeded to carry the lead for almost the complete second half, threatening to get rid of the most well liked group in school basketball on the opening weekend of the Large Dance.
Then, Walter Clayton Jr. got here alive. Florida’s senior level guard asserted his will down the stretch to energy the No. 1 seed Gators to an exciting 77-75 victory. His heroics included a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:54 remaining, a pair of clutch free throws and a dagger 3-pointer on the 1:07 mark that successfully buried the Huskies for good.
“On the finish, my teammates had been trusting me with the ball in my hand to have the ability to shoot that shot, so I respect them for that belief and simply sticking with it,” Clayton stated.
Effectively earlier than this match and season started, Clayton had a natch of constructing clutch photographs. Within the first spherical of the NCAA Event final spring, Clayton drilled a game-tying 3-pointer with 11 seconds left earlier than Colorado star KJ Simpson spoiled the ending with a clutch shot of his personal.
Clayton bypassed the 2024 NBA Draft and returned to highschool after a profitable first season in Gainesville. Earlier than he arrived at Florida, he was a mid-major star at Iona beneath coach Rick Pitino. A date along with his former coach within the Elite Eight would’ve been doable had St. John’s not misplaced to Arkansas within the second spherical of the NCAA Event.
Clayton averaged 17.7 factors, 4.2 assists and three.7 rebounds en path to the Gators profitable 34 video games and counting heading into the ultimate weekend of the school basketball season.
Clayton’s closing season of faculty basketball has seen him earn first-team All-American honors whereas drawing comparisons to Golden State Warriors famous person Steph Curry for his shotmaking capability.
“Similar to the Warriors need Steph to have the ability to discover a method to get open, get photographs in these moments, we wish (Walter) taking these photographs for us down the stretch,” Golden stated. “There is a motive why he was AP First-Workforce All-American. He is, in my humble estimation, the very best guard in America.”
Take it from the coach. When the sport was on the road Saturday evening in the home that Steph constructed, there wasn’t any doubt about who was getting the rock.