This was the last thing Florida Gators basketball fans wanted to see on Saturday. In the middle of the action on the road against No. 8 Tennessee, standout guard Walter Clayton Jr. landed awkwardly on his ankle and he was in a ton of pain on the hardwood.
It took several moments for him to get up and play even had to be stopped with him down. Eventually, Clayton was helped up, but he couldn't make his way back to the bench. Instead, he immediately turned around and headed straight to the locker room, limping his way back with the help of trainers. This looked like a serious injury for him, which hade fans worried.
Scary sight in Knoxville: Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. is headed back to the locker with an apparent ankle injury.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) February 1, 2025
Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. back on the floor vs. Tennessee
Thankfully, though, while things looked pretty bad at first, Florida came out of the locker room for the second half and the team announced that Clayton was good to go. When Clayton first went down, countless people back home feared the worst, thinking that he'd potentially miss extensive time.
Clayton has been unreal to watch for Florida this season and he's one of the main reasons why this team is ranked No. 5 in the country. In order for the Gators to keep playing at a high level and potentially make noise in March and early April, Florida will need Clayton close to 100 percent.
Fortunately for Todd Golden, Clayton's ankle is just fine and he's going to keep balling out for the team. Entering Saturday's tilt against the Vols, the 6-3, 195-pounder was averaging 17.8 points and 4.0 assists per contest.