Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. recalls final Houston play in title game, admits surprise Cougars didn't get shot

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Florida Gators star and 2025 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Walter Clayton Jr. is still talking to his teammates about what happened Monday night in San Antonio. 

How could they not after winning a hard-fought national championship with a 65-63 NCAA Tournament final win over the Houston Cougars? 

It came down to maximum effort on the final play of the game in which Houston, to the shock of everyone watching, never got a shot off for a potential tie or win as the final buzzer sounded.

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Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. celebrates after winning the 2025 national championship game at the Alamodome. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)

But Clayton and his teammates made it difficult for the Cougars to get a clean look at the hoop, including Clayton's close-out on Emanuel Sharp beyond the 3-point line, which iced the victory after the Houston guard couldn’t touch the ball again after dropping it. 

Clayton, working a celebratory "shift" at Raising Cane’s in Gainesville, Florida, Thursday, spoke to Fox News Digital about what he saw in those final seconds. 

"I saw a lot going on," he explained over the phone. "We felt like they were either going to try to get something for [L.J.] Cryer or [J’Wan] Roberts. So, they ran a little action to the right side of the wing. [Florida’s] Will [Richard] and Alijah [Martin] did a good job of pressuring the ball. Sharp kinda slipped down there to the baseline. I thought he was going to set a back screen for Roberts, so I kinda got stuck down there in the paint a little bit. 

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