Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. Named 2025 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player
Andrew Peters
Apr 7, 2025
After capping off an outstanding March Madness run with a 65-63 win over Houston in the national championship game on Monday, Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. was named the 2025 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Clayton, who started his career at Iona but spent his final two seasons with the Gators, averaged 22.3 points, 3.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds across six tournament games.
Clayton has been outstanding all year, averaging 18.5 points per game on his way to being named a Naismith Player of the Year Finalist. In the tournament, he hit another level. He posted 23 points in both the Round of 64 and Round of 32 before putting up 30 points against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight and 34 points against Auburn in the Final Four.
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On Monday, Houston came in with a clear plan of shutting down Clayton, and it worked for much of the game. But even though Clayton wasn't finding the basket as much, scoring just 11 points, he found other ways to contribute, like dishing out seven assists.
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"We've been saying it all year, our motto is 'We all can go," Clayton said. "We've got a team full of guys that can go, it ain't just about me. We got multiple guys that can go get a bucket and do anything, so my team held me down until I was able to put the ball in the basket, so shoutout to them boys."
Clayton's journey to stardom has been anything but easy.
Coming out of high school, he received more interest as a football player, landing offers from top programs like Georgia, Tennessee and Florida, per 247Sports. He had far fewer offers for basketball, but ultimately decided to stick with hoops and joined Iona.
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After two years playing for Rick Pitino with the Gaels, he hit the transfer portal and returned to his home state to join the Gators ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Now, after leading Florida to its third championship in program history, Clayton's name is in the history books forever.
Florida's Big Comeback Caps Final Four That Delivered on Lofty Hype
David Kenyon
Apr 7, 2025
SAN ANTONIO â The narrative set a towering bar.
For the second time in men's NCAA tournament history, four No. 1 seeds reached the last weekend. Compared to that 2008 group, this 2025 quartet of Auburn, Duke, Florida and Houston made it the deepest Final Four ever.
On paper, at least.
That description is easy for sportswriters to suggest, a painless idea for fans to accept. The danger in embracing the hype is the possibility of a letdown.
During these memorable two nights in the Alamodome, however, the star-studded, power-packed field delivered in every way.
The headliner, of course, is Florida's triumph over Houston. Yet again, the Gators put together a second-half surge to overcome a 12-point deficit on Monday, earning the program's third national championship in a 65-63 victory.
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But it all started with UF's first win.
Saturday night, the Gators met SEC rival Auburnâcoached by Bruce Pearl, who once hired UF coach Todd Golden to his AU staff in 2014. The familiar matchup, both on the court and sideline, produced a spectacular game.
All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr. assembled his finest performance of a brilliant March Madness run.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 6, 2025
Later crowned the Most Outstanding Player in the 2025 tournament, he scorched Auburn for 34 points while propelling the Gators out of a nine-point hole in the second half for a 79-73 victory.
Saturday's encore, incredibly, was better.
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Duke roared out to a 14-point advantage on Houston as the clock dipped below 12 minutes left in regulation. Led by presumed No. 1 NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg, the talent-rich Blue Devils were on the brink of playing for a title.
Slowly, steadily, a veteran-heavy Houston squad chipped away at Duke's lead. The relentless defense held the freshman-laden Blue Devils to just two buckets in those 12 minutes, setting up a remarkable 9-0 run during the last 35 seconds to eliminate the championship favorite in a stunning 70-67 result.
The memorable moment, for better or worse, is tied to Flagg.
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After his controversial foul, the superstar forwardâsoon named the National Player of the Yearâhad a shot at redemption. Given his NBA projection, this was the kind of moment that would live on highlight reels forever.
Houston survived the Blue Devils' desperation heave at the buzzer, advancing to the championship game in its home state.
Yet the finale even further surpassed the encore.
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This time around, Houston raced to an early lead. In the second half, the Coogs extended that margin to 12 points. If they could navigate the last 16 minutes, the program would celebrate its first-ever national title.
Florida, once again, refused to die.
All tournament long, the Gators were a second-half team. They clawed back against Connecticut in the second round, ran away from Maryland in the Sweet 16, stunned Texas Tech in the Elite Eight, recovered to beat Auburn in the Final Four and stormed past Houston to win a title.
The supporting cast played a leading role for Florida on Monday, but Clayton still continuously came up clutch. In the closing eight minutes, he evened the score on three occasions with two and-ones and a triple.
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Ultimately, stingy defense and two late free throws apiece from Will Richard and Alijah Martinâthe other two members of the best backcourt in the countryâsealed the Gators' jubilant win.
Sure, you might've wanted a certain result that didn't happen. You may have preferred the storyline of Auburn or Houston winning a first-ever championship or Duke's freshmen achieving the pinnacle in their lone college year.
Through the game-to-game entertainment lens, however, this Final Four matched and surpassed its enormous expectations.
Every matchup was dramatic to the closing minute, and the nerves only increased as the tournament progressed. There were three fantastic games, two amazing comebacks and one brilliant championship.
San Antonio took the strongest-ever group of teams and provided one of the best Final Fours in the sport's history.
Good luck living up to this bar in 2026, Indianapolis.
No. 1 Auburn Upset by No. 6 Florida as CBB Fans Debate SEC's Best Team Before Bracket
Feb 8, 2025
The top men's team in college basketball suffered their first conference loss Saturdayâand it was very nearly a blowout.
No. 1 Auburn trailed by as many 19 points while conceding a 90-81 defeat to a No. 6 Florida team missing starting guard Alijah Martin.
Florida's upset win, which came alongside a Wade Taylor buzzer-beater that lifted Texas A&M to a last-second win over Missouri, left some fans marveling at the strength of the SEC.
ESPN's most recent bracket projection predicts that 13 SEC teams will make it to March Madness, which would set a single-conference record for Tournament bids, according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf.
Auburn about to lose to Florida without Alijah Florida is the best basketball team in the SEC right now đŻ
Want to know just how good the sec is this year? #1 Auburn, arguably the best team in college basketball is getting a root canal on their home court by Florida. pic.twitter.com/ClwiQ4F2Se
Auburn looked familiarly dominant in the first eight minutes of action as the home team cruised to a 20-11 lead to start the game.
That was when the Gators defense began to clamp down, allowing Florida to head into the halftime break with a 10-point advantage.
Auburn made a late push to tie the game, cutting Florida's lead to nine points with eight minutes left on the clock.
But the home team couldn't overcome Florida's shooting as the Gators went 31-for-64 (48.4 percent) from the field, and 13-for-33 (39.4 percent) from deep, while impressing fans in the win.
Florida a couple minutes away from the most impressive win in all of college hoops this season. This second half has been something else, keeping Auburn from getting it close
Walter Clayton Jr. led Florida with 19 points in the win, while Thomas Haugh scored 16 off the bench. National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome was held to 18 points in Auburn's loss.
Auburn, whose only other loss this season came to No. 9 Duke, conceded a first SEC loss of the campaign. Now at 22-1 on the season and 9-1 in the SEC, the Tigers next hit the road to face Vanderbilt followed by No. 3 Alabama.
Florida meanwhile improves to 20-3 overall and 7-3 in the SEC. The Gators will hope to get Martin back in the fold soon while preparing for the team's next road game, this time against No. 22 Mississippi State.
7'9" Florida Center Olivier Rioux to Redshirt CBB Season; World's Tallest Teenager
Nov 14, 2024
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 04: Olivier Rioux #32 of the Florida Gators looks on before the start of a game against the South Florida Bulls at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on November 04, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
College basketball fans will have to wait one more season to see the world's tallest teenager in action.
Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 freshman for Florida, is planning to redshirt this season, Gators head coach Todd Golden said Thursday, via the Associated Press. Rioux would use one of his four collegiate seasons had he played in just one game this year.
While Golden said the plan right now is to redshirt Rioux, he hinted that burning his redshirt is possible.
"I should have made that clear (before)," Golden said. "Honestly, it's put him in a tough situation. He's sitting over there at the end of games and everybody's yelling at him and trying to get him out there. They just hadn't understood that that was our potential plan for him.
"So that's where we're at at this moment. I'm not saying that's 100 percent going to be the plan. We'll continue to talk to him and see if he changes what he wants to do. But as of right now, that's the plan that we're going to have with him as we move forward."
Rioux, originally from Quebec, Canada, was considered to be a 3-star prospect coming out of high school, per 247Sports Composite. He played high school basketball at IMG Academy before committing to Florida.
The 18-year-old earned a Guinness World Record in 2021 for being the tallest teenager in the world. Once he makes his debut for the Gators, he will be college basketball's tallest player ever. The previous tallest players were Kenny George, who played at UNC Asheville from 2006 to 2008, and Mike Lanier, who played at Hardin-Simmons and UCLA from 1988 to 1993. Both stood at 7-foot-7.
Guinness World Record holder for tallest teenager, Olivier Rioux was 6'1" at eight-years-old đ± pic.twitter.com/dh5WBGzFJv
As they await Rioux's debut, the Gators will look to put together a good season following last season's first-round NCAA Tournament exit. Florida is 3-0 through its first few games and has a meeting with Florida State on Friday.
7'9" Olivier Rioux Sets World Record as Tallest Teenager; Committed to Florida CBB
Jun 19, 2024
Florida men's basketball commit Olivier Rioux has grown to 7'9", per the team's official website, extending his own Guinness World Record as the tallest teenager in the world.
Guinness World Record holder for tallest teenager, Olivier Rioux was 6'1" at eight-years-old đ± pic.twitter.com/dh5WBGzFJv
Rioux, who is from Montreal, played high school ball at IMG Academy in Florida before committing to the Gators.
Per Florida's official men's basketball website, Rioux was 6'1" at eight years old, 6'11" in the sixth grade and passed seven feet prior to the seventh grade.
At the age of 16, Rioux was just over 7'5" and already in the Guinness World Record book as the tallest teenager.
The Rioux family is quite tall, with his father standing at 6'8", his mother at 6'2" and his older brother at 6'9".
Rioux has apparently kept growing, however. He was 7'7" not too long ago, but the roster update confirms an even greater height.
Meet the next College Basketball GIANT: Olivier Rioux.
The 7'7" behemoth is a 4đ from IMG Academy committed to Florida for next season.
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) April 9, 2024
247Sports lists him as a 3-star prospect. Travis Branham, 247Sports basketball analyst, gave this scouting report last November, when Rioux was 7'6".
"Olivier Rioux is a 7'6" center that takes up immense space on the floor but isn't the most fleet of foot. In short minutes, Rioux can come into a game to clog the paint, shield opponents away from the rim and be a serviceable rebounder.He does have pretty good hands and touch on the offensive side of the ball but will need to continue developing his coordination especially in quick reaction circumstances."
Now Rioux will play Division I ball for Florida, which won 24 games and reached the SEC tournament final before falling to Colorado 103-100 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Florida's Micah Handlogten Has Fractured Leg Injury; Left SEC Title Game on Stretcher
Mar 17, 2024
ATHENS, GA - FEBRUARY 17: Florida Gators Center Micah Handlogten (3) shoots the ball as Georgia Bulldogs Guard Blue Cain (0) defends during the college basketball game between the Florida Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs on February 17, 2024, at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, GA. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Early in Sunday's SEC championship game against Auburn, Florida suffered a devastating injury loss.
Sophomore Mitch Handlogten, the Gators' starting center, was stretchered off the court with an air cast on his left leg after he went down while trying to grab a rebound early in the first half. ESPN later reported that he suffered a fractured lower left leg. Florida went on to lose 86-67.
Florida's Micah Handlogten is down, they're checking his left leg/ankle at the moment -- stretcher is now on the floor and an air cast might be coming for that leg, dang
ESPN reported that Handlogten was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to undergo testing. The entire Gators roster an over to him to show their support as he was stretchered off the court:
After spending his freshman season at Marshall, Handlogten transferred to Florida and was given a prominent role. The 7'1" big man started 31 of his 32 appearances this year and averaged 5.5 points, ranked fifth in the SEC with 7.1 rebounds and added 0.9 blocks while shooting 62.2 percent from the field. His best performance came in an overtime victory over Georgia on Jan. 27 in which he scored a career-high 23 points on 10-of-13 and pulled down 17 rebounds.
Handlogten is the Gators' only seven-footer, but they have a deep crop of power forwards who can take his place in the frontcourt. Freshman forwards Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh appear to be splitting minutes at the center position in Handlogten's absence.
Florida is playing its fourth game in four days after its strong run to the tournament championship. The Gators defeated Georgia, No. 19 Alabama and Texas A&M on their way to the title game.
Keyontae Johnson Reportedly Enters Transfer Portal After 4 Years at Florida
May 1, 2022
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 07: Florida Gators forward Keyontae Johnson (11) blocks out Butler Bulldogs forward Sean McDermott (22) during the men's college basketball game between the Florida Gators and Butler Bulldogs on December 7, 2019, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
After spending the last four years with the Florida Gators, forward Keyontae Johnson has entered the transfer portal, according to Stadium's Jeff Goodman.
Johnson hasn't played in over a year after he collapsed on the court during a game.
T.J. Legacy-Cole ofFresh Take Florida reported in late March that police said Johnson sexually assaulted a young woman at a pool party in February.
Police said an investigation determined that Johnson had unprotected sex with a 19-year-old woman after she was intoxicated, though he told them that he had asked for her consent. Legacy-Cole reported that Johnson, who hasn't been arrested, faces a charge of sexual battery, which is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Johnson was the SEC Preseason Player of the Year for 2020-21. He was stretched off the floor in a game against Florida State on Dec. 12, 2020, after collapsing during a timeout. He was released from the hospital 10 days later.
Johnson was later named a player-coach for the Gators. Though he never played or practiced with the team again, he was honored as part of Florida's senior day this year. For his career, Johnson has averages of 11.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists.
Florida's Keyontae Johnson Investigated by Police in Alleged Sexual Assault
Mar 26, 2022
SUNRISE, FL - DECEMBER 21: Florida Gators forward Keyontae Johnson (11) looks on during the Florida Gators game versus the Utah State Aggies on December 21, 2019 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, FL. (Photo by Mary Holt/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Florida Gators forward Keyontae Johnson has been formally accused of sexual assault, according to court records obtained by T.J. Legacy-Cole of WUFT. He has not been formally charged.
The alleged assault took place at a pool party last month, and Gainesville Police have been investigating Johnson for a month, according to Legacy-Cole.
âIâm confident once the facts come out, no charges will be filed,â Johnson's attorney, Ron Kozlowski, told Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel. âKeyontae didnât commit a crime, didnât do anything wrong. That will be apparent once the facts are out.â
The alleged assault occurred at an off-campus apartment Feb. 26. Johnson's accuser had reportedly been drinking hours before the party and during it. She contacted police Feb. 28 after undergoing a sexual assault exam.
Earlier this month, Gainesville police listened in on a phone call between Johnson and his accuser. The Florida basketball player said he had unprotected sex with the woman after she was intoxicated, according to Legacy-Cole. He said during the call that he had asked for her consent.
Two witnesses described the woman accusing Johnson of sexual assault as "heavily intoxicated" and "not making any sense" at the time the alleged assault occurred, according to police.
Johnson and the woman accusing him are listed as friends in court documents. They had a previous sexual encounter in August, but since then, the woman has âmade it clear to the DEF that she did not want to have sexual intercourse any more,â according to the report.
Johnson has not practiced or played in a game for the Gators since collapsing unexpectedly against Florida State in December 2020. Since then, he has served as a player-coach for the team and made a ceremonial start against the Kentucky Wildcats on senior day earlier this month.
Report: Florida's Mike White to Replace Tom Crean as Georgia's Men's CBB Head Coach
Mar 13, 2022
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 10: Florida Gators head coach Mike White watches the action during the SEC Tournament between the Florida Gators (#9) and the Texas A&M Aggies (#8) on Thursday, March 10, 2022 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It seems likely that for just the second time in Mike White's tenure as Florida men's basketball head coach, the program will miss the NCAA tournament. And the head coach may be out, too.
According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Georgia will be hiring White away from Florida to serve as its next head coach.
Florida last missed the tournament in the 2015-16 season, White's first year as head coach after replacing the legendary Billy Donovan, who led the program to two national championships during his tenure. This year's bunch (19-13) is likely NIT-bound.
Under Donovan, Florida also won seven regular-season titles and four conference tournament titles. Under White, it hasn't done so once.
So it's certainly possible that White preempted a potential firing.
This was a smart move for Mike White to find a landing spot prior to Florida AD Scott Stricklin making a move on him.
Georgia fits White. Not a lot of pressure. High, high character guy and follows Tom Crean. https://t.co/c9F1xHuGbo
Mike White had won at least one game in four consecutive NCAA tournaments before this season â but Florida wasnât going to make it this year. And he wasnât Billy Donovan, so there was some tension there. There was speculation he could leave this offseason, so Georgia it is.
What Mike White is doing is essentially the same thing Shaka Smart did last year â take a new job with a new contract and fresh expectations rather than enter next season on the hot seat with your administration and unwanted by your fans.
The Gators did reach the NCAA tournament four times under White, going 142-88 during his seven seasons. His best season came in 2016-17, when Florida reached the Elite Eight.
As one opposing assistant coach told The Athletic's G. Allan Taylor, White's tenure was something of a "mixed bag."
"They're usually really good defensively, but they haven't been able to put enough offense together to make a decent run, even though they've had some decent years," that assistant added. "Obviously, Donovan did something very special there and nobody before or after has really been able to get close to that. The question is, can you get enough really good players to get back to that spot? It starts with getting really good players. I don't understand how they haven't recruited better."
As for Georgia, the Tom Crean era was a disaster, with the Bulldogs failing to put together a winning season in his four years at the helm (47-75 overall). They went just 6-26 this season, and Crean was fired Thursday.
"Our expectation is to compete for postseason success in all 21 sports," athletic director Josh Brooks said in a statement. "We believe a leadership change in men's basketball is needed to achieve our goals."
The Bulldogs last made the NCAA tournament in the 2014-15 season, just one of three trips to the Big Dance since the turn of the century. White will be tasked with reversing those fortunes.
