In his first trip to the NCAA tournament back in 2023, Walter Clayton Jr. was on the wrong end of a 24-point blowout at the hands of the UConn Huskies while playing for Rick Pitino at Iona.

He transferred to Florida that offseason, and in two years with the Gators he etched his place in team history, leading the way in delivering the school's third national championship while taking home Most Outstanding Player honors at the 2025 NCAA tournament.

He had just one point at halftime on Monday night, but still finished with 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds in a game where every basket was tough and the stingy Houston defense made a point to chase him off the three-point line and double him every chance they got.

It's not hard to see why after he scored 30 points against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight, then followed that up with a career-high 34 points against Auburn in the Final Four.