Florida basketball: Gators receiving visit from MAAC player of the year

Florida basketball and Todd Golden are starting to make some progress in the transfer portal beyond just establishing contact. They just locked down a visit from the MAAC Player of the Year.

This weekend, Iona transfer Walter Clayton Jr. will make his way to Gainesville.

The 6’2” guard is originally from Lake Wales, Florida, so he may be looking for a homecoming with the Gators.

Clayton will come in as a junior, giving Golden plenty of time with him at the helm. Walter burst onto the scene for the Gaels this season in his sophomore year.

After not playing much as a freshman, he scored 16.8 points per game this season to go along with 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

What I found really impressive about Clayton is how good he is at simply putting the ball in the basket. He shot 45.5% from the field, but that includes a 43.1% clip from three-point range, and a fantastic 95.3% rate from the free throw line.

That’s exactly the kind of shooting that Golden and the Gators need.

Plus, his confidence doesn’t go away in big moments.

No need to worry about Clayton’s consistency either. He scored in double figures in all but five games this past season, with a high of 30 in Iona’s game against Niagra.

We’ve talked a bit about the other guards that Golden will go after in the portal in Demarcus Sharp and Charles Pride. While those guys are great options, it seems now that Clayton is the most gettable transfer out of the bunch.

Being from Florida is a big help as Clayton may be looking to come to play closer to home for the final years of his college career. Plus, having a visit locked in this early in the cycle is a good indicator that Walter has a serious interest in being a Gator.

If Golden can get Clayton on board early, it could create a lot of momentum in the portal.

Keep up with Florida basketball at Hail Florida Hail.