By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s practice court is nearly empty. Sweat-soaked jerseys and towels are piled near the doorway. The coaching staff and most of the players are scurrying around the facility as their bus awaits. They need to shower, pack and eat before hitti ng the road for airport and the NCAA Tournament. Walter Clayton Jr. is still in the gym. He has two team managers waiting for the last basketball, which will join the others that are already stuffed into an equipment bag and slung over a shoulder. Clayton is in no hurry. It’s reminiscent of the way he plays. The All-American guard never panics, rarely presses and usually performs with a subtle smoothness that’s hard to find at the collegiate level. He’s chill personified. And he’s no doubt the main reason the top-seeded Gators (32-4) advanced to the Sweet 16, where they will face No. 4 seed Maryland (27-8) in the West Regional on Thursday (4:39 p.m. PT, TBS, truTV). Clayton scored 13 of his 23 points in the final eight minutes Sunday, helping Florida rally to beat two-time defending NCAA champion UConn in Raleigh, North Carolina. He hit two 3-pointers with defenders in his face that epitomized the best of his skillset: he patiently took advantage of a mismatch against Alex Karaban for the first one, giving the Gators their first lead of the second half, and drained the second one while waiting for a double-team to disappear. “I’ve hit some big shots in my life,” Clayton said. “Those were probably two of the biggest.” Added Coach Todd Golden: “He’s a beast. People don’t understand. They’re kind of like, ‘Oh, he’s never emotional, looks like he’s not trying. I’m like, ‘Dude, it’s because the game comes easy to him.’ I just love it.” ‘THIS GUY IS LEGIT’ Clayton also scored 23 in the team’s tournament opener against Norfolk State. The 6-foot-2 senior from Lake Wales has now topped 20 points in six of Florida’s last seven games, raising his scoring average to nearly 18 points a game. He’s been better than anyone expected, especially after making the move from shooting guard to the point in his final year. “Everybody was on my (butt) all summer about the point-guard play,” Golden said. “I’m like, ‘This guy is legit.’ Even though he was great for us last year, people didn’t understand how elite of an offensive player he was.” It’s a development few saw coming years ago. The Sunshine State’s top basketball programs passed on Clayton coming out of high school; Stetson and Florida A&M were the only in-state schools that wanted him. Clayton instead landed at Iona in New Rochelle, New York, far from his Florida family and friends and under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino. Attorney and Florida booster John Frost, whose firm is based in Bartow – where Clayton finished high school – saw something in Clayton that Florida’s Mike White, Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton and Miami’s Jim Larrañaga seemingly missed. Frost invited Golden to dinner shortly after he got the Florida job in 2022 and mentioned Clayton as a player to watch and potentially recruit. Having never heard of Clayton, Golden went home that night and looked him up on an analytics website. “He had great numbers as a freshman,” Golden said. “A freaking shot-maker.” AN EASTER SURPRISE Golden tracked Clayton as a sophomore, and he ended up being named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year. When Pitino took the St. John’s job, it became clear that Clayton planned to leave Iona, too. It came down to following Pitino or returning to his home state to play for Golden and the Gators. “We have him on a visit, and we think we’re getting him,” Golden recalled. And then Clayton’s mom called crying on Easter morning. “She was worried he was going to stay up there at St. John’s,” Golden added. “She wanted him down here, not more than we did, but equal for sure.” Golden called the athletic department to secure Florida’s jet, grabbed assistant coach/recruiter Korey McCray and headed to New York to “figure out how we’re going to get this to the finish line.” They met Clayton at a local restaurant only to learn that he had invited Steve Masiello – Pitino’s right-hand man – to dinner. Bad news? Bidding war? Golden and McCray kept looking at each other with no idea what was happening. Clayton left the Florida duo in suspense, then after some awkward silence – and just before Masiello arrived – he dropped the news. “I’m coming to Florida,” Clayton said. “I just want you guys to be able to ask (Masiello) any questions about me that you might have. I’m coming home.” Added Golden: “It was a crazy day. I’d say that Easter was very important to the return of Florida basketball.” ‘IT’S AMAZING TO WATCH’ With everyone having left the practice court, Clayton is getting up extra shots. 3-pointers. Free throws. Even a layup or two. The managers wait, then slip the last ball into the bag and hustle it to the bus. Clayton takes his time getting ready; the Gators won’t leave town without him. Everyone knows how important he is to Florida’s offense, whether it’s finding teammates on the break, running half-court sets, hitting shots from midcourt logos or taking over in crunch time. “What makes him such a great player is his ability to score it from anywhere on the court,” teammate Will Richard said. He showed that knack all season, including when the Gators needed it most against UConn. “Super clutch, man,” teammate Alijah Martin said. “That’s Walter Clayton Jr. for you right there. He put us on his back – just so proud of him. I see the work he puts in every day. It’s amazing to watch.” Related Articles NCAA Tournament: Duke takes elite efficiency into matchup with Arizona When NCAA Tournament and transfer portal collide, a scouting combine erupts SDSU dives into the NCAA transfer portal to replace Magoon Gwath, Nick Boyd Swanson: Without JuJu Watkins, USC is finished, right? Not so fast Swanson: JuJu Watkins’ injury sends shockwaves through USC, NCAA Tournament ...read more read less