Analyst compares Walter Clayton Jr. to Steph Curry and 9x All-Star ahead of NBA Draft

Walter Clayton Jr. set the country ablaze in March, becoming the star of this year's NCAA Tournament as he and the Florida Gators plowed their way to the national title.

Clayton, who transferred to Florida from Iona back in 2023, has received praise from experts throughout his run and his game has been compared to that of Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry.

Clayton earned first team All-American honors this season and excelled in the tournament, scoring at least 20 points in four of the Gators' six wins. One NBA expert thinks he has done enough to be a lottery pick in this year's draft.

On Monday's episode of Get UP!, former Duke Blue Devil Jay Williams shared his thoughts on the 6-foot-3 guard's game. He believes Clayton has climbed to the top of the draft board, joining Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper as the top prospects. When asked about who he compares to in the NBA, Williams brought up some high-profile names.

"...The run this guy is on, the shots he makes, combined Damian Lillard with Steph Curry," said Williams. "I'm not saying he is going to reach the pinnacle of who those players are, but his game to me seems like a marriage between the two; he is prolific offensively."

Steph Curry and Damian Lillard have 11 and nine All-Star selections, respectively, and are two of the best shooters in today's NBA. Even if Walter Clayton Jr. is unable to reach the heights they did, he has the talent to carve out his own role in the league as a pro, according to Williams.

How does Walter Clayton Jr.'s NCAA Tournament run affect the 2025 NBA draft?

While Walter Clayton Jr. will likely go down in NCAA Tournament history alongside names like Kemba Walker and Ty Lawson, the latest NBA mock drafts don't have him going as high as Jay Williams thinks. In the NBA, teams value youth much more than colleges do.

Walter Clayton Jr. is a senior, and despite the fact that he has proved his talent against the best teams in the country, his age stands out as a potential red flag. ESPN's latest mock draft has him being selected by the Boston Celtics with the 28th pick, while freshmen phenoms like Flagg, Bailey and Harper are at the top of the board.

While he might not be a top pick, Clayton could be a name to watch if he ends up in the right situation. He has shown that he can hold his own defensively as well as lead a team on the offensive end.