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Barack Obama shouts out Florida, Walter Clayton Jr. after national championship win
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Barack Obama gave a shoutout to Florida basketball after its big win over Houston in the national title game on Tuesday night.
Obama even gave a specific shoutout to Walter Clayton Jr. for his performances earlier in the tournament. He scored 30+ points for the Gators in both the Elite Eight and the Final Four, giving Florida a chance to reach the national title game.
“What a comeback! Congrats to Walter Clayton Jr. and the Florida Gators on their third national title,” Obama wrote on social media. “This was a fun team to watch.”
While Clayton was the hero for Florida for much of the tournament, he had a relatively-quiet game — particularly in the first half — against Houston. He scored just 11 points, but he also chipped in 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal in the win. He also had what proved to be the game-winning close-out on Houston’s Emanuel Sharp in the final seconds of the game.
With Clayton having a quiet scoring night, Florida needed more from Will Richard — and he delivered. Richard scored a team-high 18 points on just 10 shots. He also led the Gators with 8 rebounds and sunk four 3-pointers on the night as well.
Clayton was named Most Outstanding Player for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
