GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Walter Clayton Jr. is set to rejoin the starting unit for the sixth-ranked Florida Gators as they prepare to face No. 1 Auburn this Saturday.
Coach Todd Golden announced on Friday that Clayton has been given the green light to play after missing a recent matchup due to a sprained left ankle.
“Walt’s pretty close to 100%,” Golden remarked, adding, “He’s right there. I think you’ll see Walt at his best on Saturday.”
However, Golden expressed some uncertainty regarding the status of fellow guard Alijah Martin. Martin sustained a hip pointer in a game against Vanderbilt on Tuesday and did not participate in practice the following day.
“He’s a great competitor,” Golden noted. “I anticipate having him, but we’ll see how he responds to practice.”
The decision to rest Clayton was influenced by the demanding schedule ahead, which includes upcoming away games at Auburn followed by a contest against No. 22 Mississippi State just three days later.
Clayton injured his ankle late in the first half during a challenging game against then-No. 8 Tennessee last weekend. Although he returned to play in the second half, he had another close call when he slipped in front of the bench, causing concern for Golden and his teammates.
Despite the injury, Clayton managed to contribute 10 points, however, he had no assists and recorded three turnovers in 27 minutes of play. Currently, he leads the Gators in scoring with an average of 17.4 points per game, while also topping the team in assists with 79, and ranking third in steals with 28.
“He’s our leading scorer. He’s a facilitator, too, for me,” said forward Alex Condon. “He’s great to have. We all knew that he was just being cautious before the Vanderbilt game, and with a big one on Saturday, I think we all understood that’s what he was waiting for.”
The Gators, sitting at 19-3 and 6-3 in the Southeastern Conference, are entering the game as 9.5-point underdogs against the Auburn Tigers, who hold a 21-1 record and are undefeated at home this season with a streak of 14 consecutive wins.
“When you go on the road and you’re playing the No. 1 team in the country, there’s a little less expectation on you,” Golden mentioned. “It takes away some of that pressure and allows for the opportunity to take more chances and be aggressive in ways you typically wouldn’t feel comfortable doing.”
Golden believes this perspective could be beneficial. “We’ll head in there with, for lack of a better term, nothing to lose, not afraid to fail, and we’ll give it our best shot to see if we can come home with a victory.”
