Walter Clayton Jr. out to prove at the point guard spot for Florida basketball in 2024-25

Florida basketball combo guard Walter Clayton Jr. showed he could light up a scoreboard in his first season at UF in 2023-24.

Clayton’s 17.6 per game scoring average was the highest for a Florida Gators player since Anthony Roberson averaged 17.9 points per game for UF in 2003-04.

But after playing mainly off the ball last season, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Clayton will enter the 2024-25 season as the likely starter for UF at point guard.

Clayton was at times shaky with the basketball during the 2023-24 season, posting an assist-to-turnover ratio of 93-80 last season. Taking care of the ball, Clayton said, was one of the aspects of the game he worked on the most during the offseason.

“Just getting to know my teammates, what passes they can catch, what passes might be a little bit more tough,” Clayton said of preparing to play more point. “What passes I can throw and can’t throw. I think I was a little careless with the ball sometimes last year, taking too many chances. So just being better with that.”

Florida basketball coach Todd Golden has confidence in Clayton running the offense. Clayton ran the point at Iona before transferring to UF and started the first three games at point for the Gators last season when starting point guard Zyon Pullin sat out due to an NCAA suspension. Part of the feedback Clayton received from NBA teams before pulling his name back from the draft last spring centered on showing he could handle playing the point on a more consistent basis.

“The biggest progress made so far by Walt have been his consistency and leadership,” Golden said. “I think that’s something, as we were working together to find a path for him to come back to Florida last year, and make sure it was the right situation for everybody, that was something that was important to me; to move into that role where his leadership, both vocally and by example, had to be really, really consistent.

“He’s shown a lot of improvement of taking on more. Obviously as the primary ball-handler early in our offense will be a challenge, but he’s done a great job of accepting that. He’s gotten himself in really good shape, given the way we intend to play.”

Can scoring point guard serve as a weapon for Florida basketball?

Clayton will replace Pullin, who provided his share of offense last season (15.5 ppg) while staying one of the steadiest point guards in college basketball. Pullin’s assist-to-turnover ratio of 162-43 ranked third nationally last season.

“He took care of the ball greatly,” Clayton said. “He was great with that, just being low, being strong with his handle at all times, maybe take less chances, you know what I’m saying, I learned that from him.”

Clayton brings a more dangerous perimeter threat to the point guard position, as his 93 3-pointers led UF last season and ranked tied for 4th in the SEC. He can score for himself when open in transition or off ball screens.

“A scoring point guard can be a real weapon,” Clayton said. “But you obviously want to get your teammates involved too. Just the balance of that and the challenge and the balance of that.”

Florida is capable of taking pressure off Clayton by running the point through substitutions, as junior Denzel Aberdeen, sophomore Kajus Kublickas and incoming freshman Urban Klavzar are all capable of entering the game and running the point for stretches. Golden said returning backcourt starter Will Richard and FAU transfer guard Alijah Martin could also run the offense at times.

“Denzel is a guy we expect a lot of this year,” Golden said. “He’s going to be playing on the ball quite a bit. Whether it’s Kajus, Urban, a lot of those guys are capable. Alijah and Will will have some ball-handling responsibilities. We’re going to do it by committee that way.”

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida basketball guard Walter Clayton Jr. eager to run point for UF