In an epic championship game on Monday night, Florida basketball trailed for most of the game before coming back to stun Houston 65-63 and cut down the nets as national champions. Like they did all tournament, the Gators came up with clutch stops and big baskets in the clutch to walk away on top.
Walter Clayton Jr. didn’t have the same kind of nuclear performance that fans have become accustomed to seeing from him, but he still scored 11 points, came up with some big buckets and took home Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. After the game, he shared a moment with his head coach Todd Golden with confetti all around the two of them.
“hey coach, we got it”
pic.twitter.com/JyZacNOCdP
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) April 8, 2025
“Hey coach, we got it,” Clayton said with a smile.
Clayton didn’t have the easiest night against a swarming Houston defense that really made things difficult on him all night. The superstar guard, coming off of a 34-point masterpiece in the Final Four against Auburn, was held scoreless in the first half while facing a barrage of traps and physical play.
The second half was more of the same, as Clayton was forced to find his teammates and was basically taken out of the game as a scorer, but he finally found a few crevices to make an impact. The Iona transfer found space for a huge and-one finish and knocked down a late 3-pointer to tie the game at 60 with just over three minutes to go.
Winning a title is a massive achievement for any coach, but at 39 years old, it is a historic one for Golden. The former St. Mary’s player is the youngest head coach to win a national title since Jim Valvano in NC State’s infamous title in 1983.
Golden and Clayton both spearheaded a Florida basketball team that became known for its epic comebacks in this tournament, and now they will live on forever as the champions at the end of one of the greatest Final Fours of all time.
The post Florida star Walter Clayton Jr.’s powerful message to Todd Golden after title game appeared first on ClutchPoints.
