Walter Clayton Jr. turns heads with poised preseason showing

Just a few months removed from leading Florida to its third national title in program history, Walter Clayton Jr. is back on the court and making his name known, this time in the NBA Preseason.

The rookie didn't start the preseason off on the right foot, tallying just seven points and a few assists and rebounds in game one against the Houston Rockets.

But he completely flipped the script last night.

Against the San Antonio Spurs, Clayton recorded twenty points, five rebounds, and five assists in 34 minutes. He also added a block and an assist. He played a crucial role in fueling a 17-point comeback from the Jazz, eventually forcing overtime before letting the game slip away in the final frame.

It was a successful night for the former Florida star, who hopes that performances like this will earn him extra minutes.

He wasn't the only national champion Gator to impress, however, as Will Richard of the Golden State Warriors tallied nine points, two rebounds and assists, and an efficient shooting showing with a 67% FG clip earlier this week.

What's next for Utah

The Jazz have two more preseason matchups: the Dallas Mavericks (Monday, October 13th) and the Portland Trail Blazers (Thursday, October 16th). Both games will be played at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Jazz will commence regular-season play with a home test against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, October 22nd.

Clayton is expected to be a crucial energy player off the bench. No indicator has been made on how many minutes he'll play on a regular basis, but with performances like last night, it'll be difficult for the Jazz to keep him off the floor.

It'll be interesting to see if his college success will transfer to the NBA.