Fans marvel at Walter Clayton Jr as Florida star leads Gators to NCAA title match with "coldblooded" 34pt game vs Auburn: "Boy hoop like rent due"

Walter Clayton Jr and the Florida Gators are heading to the national championship game. Clayton scored a game-high 34 points to lead the Gators to a come-from-behind 79-73 victory over the Auburn Tigers in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome on Saturday night.

Clayton helped Florida erase an eight-point halftime deficit, scoring 20 points in the second period to lead the Gators to their fourth national championship game in program history. Florida last reached the finals of the NCAA Tournament in 2007 when the Gators claimed back-to-back national titles.

College hoops fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise Clayton after his dazzling display in the Final Four.

"Boy hoop like rent due," one fan commented.

"Bro cold blooded," one fan wrote.

"He proved he is the best player in the country," one fan commented.

Here are some other reactions.

"Has been the best player in the tournament. LFG," one fan shared.

"He is the reason I picked Florida to win it all! Dude is COLD!" one fan tweeted.

"Amidst terrible calls throughout in favor of Broome and Auburn, this game was still amazing from start to finish. Florida fought through a lot and got it done. This Walter Clayton Jr. run is one of my favorite runs I've watched in college," one fan posted.

Walter Clayton Jr was efficient on the offensive end against Auburn, shooting 11-for-18 from the field. He was lights out from beyond the arc, going 5-for-8 from deep. He also made a living at the charity stripe, going 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.

Walter Clayton Jr matches Larry Bird feat with back-to-back 30-point games

With his 34-point performance against Auburn, Walter Clayton Jr became the first player since Larry Bird to have back-to-back 30-point games in the Elite Eight and Final Four.

Clayton also had 30 points to lead the Gators past Texas Tech, 84-79, in the Elite Eight.

Alijah Martin and Thomas Haugh also provided offensive help to Walter Clayton Jr in the win over the Auburn Tigers, combining for 29 points for Florida. Martin scored 17 points in 35 minutes of action. He shot 6-for-10 from the floor, including 2-for-3 from the 3-point area.

Haugh delivered off the bench, scoring 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting. He also had seven boards, two blocks, one steal and one assist. He is averaging 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in this year's NCAA Tournament.