Florida's Clayton wins Final Four Most Outstanding Player

Walter Clayton Jr. was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2025 Final Four after leading Florida to its third national championship with a thrilling win over Houston on Monday night.

The electric guard poured in 34 points in the semifinal against Auburn before netting 11 points with seven assists and five rebounds in the title game versus the Cougars.

The honor capped an incredible tournament for Clayton, who became the first player since Larry Bird in 1979 to score at least 30 points in the Elite Eight and Final Four.

According to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, Clayton's 134 total points in the tournament were the most for a national champion since Kemba Walker scored 141 for UConn in 2011.

With Houston focused on locking down Clayton in the title game, the Iona transfer turned facilitator with seven assists on the night. That helped keep the offense rolling despite his lack of scoring for the first time this tournament.

Clayton joins Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer as the other Florida players to win the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.