Do you think that it will help his stock?
In the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship on April 7, the Florida Gators secured a thrilling 65-63 victory over the Houston Cougars, clinching their third national title and first since 2007. Despite trailing by 12 points early in the second half, Florida mounted a remarkable comeback. Guard Walter Clayton Jr., who was scoreless in the first half, contributed 11 points after halftime, including pivotal plays in the closing moments. His defensive pressure forced a crucial turnover on Houston’s final possession, sealing the victory.
Clayton’s performance throughout the tournament earned him the Most Outstanding Player award. Will Richard led the Gators with 18 points, while Houston’s L.J. Cryer topped all scorers with 19 points.
And here’s one last thing on Clayton because he is a senior. To this point, he is generally been regarded as a second round to maybe a late first round NBA draft prospect. And no Clayton will not be a top five pick which is where the Washington Wizards will likely pick this June. But after this NCAA tournament run do you think that this could help him move toward the middle of the first round with his prospects? I don’t think it’s out of the question.
This win also made Florida’s Todd Golden, at 39, the youngest head coach to win the championship since 1983. there are certainly many head coaches in basketball who can show that they still win at a high level and their 60s or even their 70s in the case of Geno Auriemma, the Connecticut Huskies women’s basketball coach. But perhaps we are now starting to see an era where there are new fresh faces who will be the face of coaching for years to come because there are other young coaches making their mark in college basketball. After all, Duke also made the men’s final four with Jon Scheyer, who is even younger.
Which programs do you see being blue bloods over the next 10 years and do you think we are now starting to move into a new era of top performing basketball coaches let us know your thoughts in the comments below as well as on the game itself.