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Walter Clayton Jr.'s Two-Word Reaction to Wednesday's Big College Basketball Announcement
Walter Clayton Jr.'s Two-Word Reaction to Wednesday's Big College Basketball Announcement originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Florida Gators wouldn't have won their first national title since 2007 without star Walter Clayton Jr.
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The 6-foot-3 guard from Lake Wales, Florida, was named first-team All-SEC, a consensus first-team All-American, and the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player this past season. He averaged 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
But now, Clayton Jr. is off to the NBA after playing two seasons under Rick Pitino at Iona and two more under Todd Golden at Florida. While he continues preparing for the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25, the Gators are finalizing their schedule for next season.
On Wednesday, March Madness announced in a joint post with the Florida Gators and UConn Huskies that the two teams will meet in the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 9 at Madison Square Garden.
"BOX OFFICE SHOWDOWN IN MSG 🍿," March Madness captioned its post. "@gatorsmbk and @uconnmbb will go head-to-head in the Jimmy V Classic 🔥."
Clayton Jr. was one of many to see the post and left a two-word message in the comment section:
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"Go Gators."
Walter Clayton Jr.'s comment on March Madness' post.@marchmadnessmbb/Instagram
Florida and UConn have faced each other three times since Huskies head coach Dan Hurley took over in Storrs. The most recent meeting came in the Round of 32 of last season's NCAA Tournament, where the Gators pulled out a 77-75 win to end UConn's 13-game NCAA Tournament winning streak.
The other two matchups took place on Nov. 17, 2019, in Storrs and Dec. 7, 2022, in Gainesville, with UConn winning both.
Related: Florida Reveals Availability Plan For 7-Foot-9 College Basketball Player
Related: Florida Star Sends Parting Message After National Championship Run
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
