GAINESVILLE, Fla. — On Monday, Florida Gators’ point guard Walter Clayton Jr. was spotted on campus without a protective boot, indicating a promising recovery from his recent left ankle sprain.
Clayton sustained the injury late in the first half during a challenging game against No. 8 Tennessee on Saturday. While he managed to return for the second half, he faced a scare when he slipped in front of the bench area. Despite the setbacks, he ended the game with 10 points, shooting 3-of-13, and recorded no assists alongside three turnovers over 27 minutes of play.
The Gators, currently holding a record of 18-3 and sitting at No. 6 in the latest men’s college basketball rankings, are preparing to take on Vanderbilt (16-5, 4-4) on Tuesday night. The status of Clayton is being closely monitored.
“Fortunately, we seem to have avoided anything too severe, which is great news,” said Coach Todd Golden. “He did tweak his ankle significantly during the first half, and the slip during the second half was just an unfortunate incident. Thankfully, I don’t think it aggravated the injury further.”
“He’s been proactive with his rehab and is progressing well — moving around without issues. However, we’ll continue to evaluate him on an hourly basis leading up to practice. Tomorrow morning will be crucial in determining his availability for the game,” Golden added.
Currently, Clayton is the leading scorer for the Gators, averaging 17.4 points per game. He also leads the team with 79 assists and is third in steals with 28.
“Walter is a resilient player,” remarked teammate Thomas Haugh. “I have faith he’ll come back strong.”
The Gators are determined to bounce back, regardless of Clayton’s availability, after suffering a 20-point loss to the Volunteers. This result was particularly tough, given they previously defeated Tennessee by 30 points in Gainesville earlier in January.
Florida’s numbers illustrate their struggles in that game, as they shot only 24.5% from the field, made just 4 out of 27 attempts from beyond the arc, committed 13 turnovers, and scored merely three second-chance points. They are used to controlling the pace of the game, but against Tennessee, they were clearly outmatched.
Despite the disappointing loss, Coach Golden found some solace in the fact that many other ranked teams also faced defeat that evening. “Winning is challenging,” he noted. “We’ve come to expect victory each game, which is a testament to our growth as a program. However, we need to ensure we’re better prepared for Tuesday night to avoid a repeat performance.”
