Houston led by as many as 12. For a hot second, it felt like they were cruising. Like, pack it up, the Cougars are taking this one home. But guess what? The script flipped hard. With just 19.7 seconds left and a chance to tie the game, Cougars missed. And just like that, Florida walked away with a 65-63 win—on a night when their star player was off. Yes, Walter Clayton Jr. had a rough one. But somehow, the Gators still got the job done.

And while we’re here thinking about how brutal that loss was, imagine what Kelvin Sampson’s feeling. He has been through this, not once, not twice, but multiple times. Three national championship appearances. Seven Final Fours. Still zero titles. That’s not just bad luck anymore—that’s a full-blown March curse.

You can fight tooth and nail, put together a perfect season, and make all the right moves… but if you don’t win the last game, it hurts. It stings for Houston, no doubt. But for Florida, especially for Clayton Jr, the dub makes everything better. Doesn’t matter if he shot bricks all night—he still goes down as a champ.

And that’s wild when you think about how on fire he’s been this tournament. The baller came into the title game averaging 24.6 points, shooting 50% from the field and almost 49% from deep. He dropped 30 in the Elite Eight, 34 in the Final Four. Just lights-out stuff. But this game was a different story. The first 20 minutes were pretty embarrassing for him. He went 0-for-4—all threes—no points, a couple turnovers, and looked nothing like the hooper we’ve been watching. Houston had him locked up and led 31-28 at halftime.

Even Houston went up by 12 within five minutes in the second quarter, thanks to a couple of shots from L.J. Cryer. But the Gators clawed their way back, tied it up with under 8 minutes to go, and from there, things got real. Walter Clayton Jr., who didn’t score a single point in the first half, dropped 9 of his 11 points in those final minutes. 

Florida barely led for 63 seconds the entire game—and still walked away with the win. With that, the Gators tied for the third-biggest comeback ever in a men’s NCAA title game. They also snapped Houston’s insane 18-game win streak.

Sure, Houston’s sweaty, gritty defense made life hell for Florida all night. But in the end, Denzel Aberdeen iced it with a clutch free throw, and Houston fumbled away their last chance in a chaotic final possession. And just like that, Florida gets title No. 3. 

Now, Walter Clayton has got a natty, and he’s looking ahead to the NBA Draft. 

Where could Walter Clayton Jr. land? 

Walter Clayton Jr. has been as clutch as they come this March. He’s been Florida’s go-to guy in tight moments, delivering big shots and even bigger wins—none bigger than the upset over two-time defending champs UConn. Thanks to his heroics, the Gators are national champions for the first time since 2007.

Coming into the season, Clayton returned to Florida with hopes of boosting his draft stock. Safe to say, that plan worked out. He’s now being mentioned as a potential late first-round pick, with some mock drafts placing him at No. 29 to the Phoenix Suns. Now, the Suns might not scream “perfect fit” at first glance. They’ve got KD, Booker, and Beal, after all. But despite the star power, the team has struggled this season, and there’s growing talk about Durant’s future. 

Their backcourt is filled with scorers, but when it comes to true lead guards, they’ve only got Tyus Jones and Monte Morris—neither of whom has had much impact. That’s where Clayton comes in. He’s averaged 18.5 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.7 rebounds this year and has proven he can control tempo, make smart plays, and score under pressure. For a Suns team in need of a reliable ball-handler and late-game poise, he checks a lot of boxes.

Whether or not Phoenix pulls the trigger depends on how the board falls. There are a lot of developmental picks projected in that range. But if he’s available late in the first, Clayton could be a solid long-term option for a the Suns.