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Iona Guard Transfer Walter Clayton Jr. Commits to Florida Gators

The Florida Gators secure a commitment from elite guard transfer Walter Clayton Jr.

Brandon Carroll

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The reconstruction of Rainesville received a splash landing as it nears completion this spring.

Elite Iona guard transfer and MAAC Player of the Year in 2022-23 Walter Clayton Jr. will officially head back to his home state of Florida to continue his collegiate career with the Gators, he announced Tuesday.

The Lake Wales (Fla.) native chose the Gators over St. John’s, a school now led by the coach who recruited and coached him at Iona in Rick Pitino. Clayton will arrive in Gainesville with two years of eligibility remaining.

As a sophomore with the Gaels, Clayton accounted for 16.8 points per game, a metric that ranked No. 127 in college basketball on the year.

His efficiency as a scorer from all three levels — knocking down 45.5% of his field goal attempts and 43.1% of his long-range shots — made him a highly sought-after transfer prospect. Adding 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game to his resume, Clayton aligns as the perfect combo guard to elevate Todd Golden’s system.

The former helped lead his unit to an NCAA Tournament berth in 2022-23 before being eliminated in the first round by the eventual national champion Uconn Huskies, posting 15 points on 40% shooting and 50% from three, four rebounds and four assists in that contest.

Clayton is a massive acquisition for the Gators, presenting an elite-level scoring skillset, distribution talents and athleticism to aid UF’s offensive productivity in multiple facets after a shaky first season for Golden and Co.

Namely, his equally impressive spot-up shooting ability and prowess to attack opposing defenses off the dribble in set pieces and transition bode well for significant improvement. His explosiveness defensively is an evident drawing factor as well.

He becomes the third transfer into the program this offseason, joining Micah Handlogten (Marshall) and EJ Jarvis (Yale) as the new faces in the lineup.

That comes after a mass exodus of talent following the 2022-23 season, with Florida seeing eight pieces depart from the program through transfer or exhausted eligibility.

The three transfers in and two incoming freshmen, Alex Condon — who will sign Wednesday — and Thomas Haugh, fill five vacancies. As a result, three open scholarships remain to complete the 2023-24 roster.

Florida will likely evenly distribute the pieces they bring in moving forward, including another piece to join Clayton at the point guard position, given the relative inexperience behind him.

North Texas transfer Tylor Perry — who the Gators reeled in for an official visit just days after his entry into the portal — and Claudell Harris Jr. (Charleston Southern) align as potential options to fill that void at this time.  Adding another center alongside Handlogten and a wing to plug behind Will Richard at the three is expected to be their course of action to round out Golden’s reconstruction efforts before a crucial second campaign.

Clayton’s pairing alongside returning sophomore Riley Kugel will go a long way to aid the year two efforts as it creates a dynamic backcourt attack.

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Brandon Carroll
BRANDON CARROLL

Brandon Carroll is a recent graduate of the University of Florida. He serves as the lead reporter for the Florida Gators FanNation-Sports Illustrated website, covering football, basketball and recruiting. When he isn't hard at work, he enjoys listening to music, playing flag football and basketball, spending time with his friends and family, and watching an array of television shows. Follow him on Twitter @itsbcarroll.

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