Detroit Pistons' $32,951,083 star hypes up Walter Clayton Jr. as Florida star puts up monster Final Four performance

Modified Apr 06, 2025 15:00 GMT

Detroit Pistons $32,951,083 star hypes up Walter Clayton Jr. as Florida star puts up monster Final Four performance (Image Credits - IMAGN/GETTY)

Walter Clayton Jr. put in a sublime display to help Florida beat fellow top-seed Auburn 79-73 in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. The Gators' star racked up a game-high 34 points, along with four rebounds and two assists, to propel his team into the national championship game.

Clayton received several plaudits for his performance, and even Detroit Pistons star Jaden Ivey jumped on the bandwagon to hype the Florida star. Ivey, who signed a four-year, $32,951,083 contract with the Pistons in July 2022, believes that Clayton is a lottery pick in this year's NBA draft.

"Walter Clayton Jr is a Lotto Pick," Ivey tweeted after Florida beat Auburn.

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While Clayton grabbed most of the headlines at the Final Four, his Florida teammates Alijah Martin and Thomas Haugh contributed 17 points and 12 points, respectively.

For Auburn, Chad Baker-Mazara recorded a team-high 18 points, with two assists and a rebound. Johni Broome posted 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists, while Denver Jones added 10 points, two assists and a rebound. However, the Tigers fell short of making it to the championship game.

Florida and Clayton, meanwhile, will get a crack at this year's biggest crown on the college basketball circuit.

Clayton began his college career at Iona in 2021. He played two seasons with the Gaels before transferring to Florida in 2023. This season, he is on the brink of achieving something spectacular with the Gators.

Walter Clayton Jr.'s Florida will face Houston in NCAA Tournament final

NCAA Basketball: Florida Gators star Walter Clayton Jr. - Source: Imagn

Walter Clayton Jr.'s Florida will face another top-seed, Houston, which beat Duke in the Final Four to book a spot in the final.

This year's championship game will tip off at 8:50 p.m. ET from Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

The Florida vs. Houston contest will be broadcast live on CBS. Fans can also live stream the finale on Fubo or Paramount+.

About the author

Arnold is a journalist covering College Sports and the NFL at Sportskeeda. He has been with the company since August 2022.

Arnold graduated with a degree in Mass Media from MIC. As a sports fanatic, he pursued writing to express his thoughts and opinions on sports events across the globe. He has also worked at Wizcraft and Publicis.

Arnold began supporting the Kansas City Chiefs after watching Patrick Mahomes lead them to Super Bowl glory in 2020. He also has a soft corner for the New York Yankees since he's lived in New York for two years. Arnold's favorite coach of all time is Andy Reid, and the Chiefs dynasty looks far from over.

In his free time, Arnold enjoys reading, exercising, and traveling. He follows several other sports including football, cricket, tennis, basketball, boxing and F1.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra