SAN ANTONIO – Rick Pitino’s direct connection to this Final Four runs through Walter Clayton, Jr., the senior point guard whose clutch shotmaking propelled Florida through tough tests against Connecticut and Texas Tech earlier in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
But just a couple years ago, Pitino was hoping that Clayton could lead his team to a similar type of run at Iona.
“I had a great team for Iona, and I thought they could have gone far that year,” Pitino said Friday after accepting one of the national coach of the year awards here for his work at St. John’s. “It’s going to sound crazy but I thought Iona was a Sweet 16 team because we had one of the best backcourts. Unfortunately, our (first round) matchup was the champions (UConn). But with Walter Clayton, it did not surprise me the success he’s having now.”
Clayton, who is from a small town near the I-4 corridor between Tampa and Orlando, was actually supposed to be a big-time football recruit. Several SEC schools and Notre Dame offered him scholarships to play safety, but he far preferred basketball. There was only one problem: With COVID-19 limiting the summer travel circuit for basketball, Clayton didn’t have much exposure and only drew interest from mid-major programs.
“We looked at the film, and what I liked is that he won back-to-back high school championships,” Pitino said. “I wanted a winner at Iona, and he was a winner. Even though he was a football player, I liked the way he passed the ball. I liked what he was doing. And when he first came in, he struggled a bit like all freshmen do. Then he became MVP of the league. His sophomore year, he was a killer basketball player as he is now at Florida.”
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Iona missed the NCAA Tournament in Clayton’s freshman season, losing in the MAAC quarterfinals after he missed the front end of a one-and-one with 20 seconds left while Rider made the game-winning shot.
The next year, after an offseason of intense work, Clayton averaged 16.8 points and shot 43 percent from the 3-point line as Iona made the tournament again. The Gaels actually gave UConn a good test for 20 minutes, leading by two at halftime before losing 87-63.
That turned out to be the last game for both of them at Iona. Pitino left for St. John’s, while Clayton chose to return home to the Gators, becoming the best guard in the SEC and arguably the best in the country this year.
“I think he’s going to be a great pro,” Pitino said. “He plays hurt. He plays all the time. He’s a tough kid. He makes shots. He’s a great passer. He lets the game come to him. He has quick hands. He jumps much better than people think. His vertical is much better than people would ever see but it was a treat coaching Walt. Great guy.”
