Rick Pitino to Walter Clayton Jr.: ‘Take it easy on those Kentuckians’

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Following his career-high seven 3-pointers in the overtime win at Kentucky, Walter Clayton Jr.’s phone was flood with calls and messages from family, friends and supporters.

Florida’s starting junior guard led the team with 23 points, including a 3-pointer with 3.0 seconds left in regulation to force OT and the go-ahead 3 in the extra period to put the Gators ahead for good.

“My phone was definitely blowing up,” Clayton said. “Still a couple people I gotta get back to. But yeah, just my mom, everybody, they congratulated me, telling me good game. They were happy for me and happy for the team.” 

One of the people Clayton traded texts with was his head coach at Iona, Rick Pitino, who’s now at St. John’s. The former NBA coach won a national title at Louisville (2013) and Kentucky (1996), where he coached from 1989-97 and made three Final Four appearances.

“I text Coach P a little bit,” Clayton said. “I text him and told him I got the W at Rupp. Seen all his banners that he put up, great environment, things like that.”

What did Pitino say to him?

“He was just like, ‘Congratulations, take it easy on those Kentuckians.’” 

The Gators (15-6, 5-3 SEC) are riding a four-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s matchup at Texas A&M (12-8, 3-4 SEC). Tip is at 4 p.m. on ESPN 2.

Clayton and his teammates celebrated the top-10 upset in the locker room at Rupp Arena and on the flight back to Gainesville. But on Thursday, they turned the page.

“We just kind of talked about enjoying the moment right now, get over it and move on to the next game,” Clayton said. “Definitely a danger of being too happy, you know. You could start slacking on some things. We earned this; it’s not given. We’ve got to keep on earning it.”

Walter Clayton Jr. Q&A

On if he felt during pregame that he’d have a big night:

Clayton: “No. Just my teammates and my coaches, everybody just telling me, just keep shooting the ball. Every time I got a good look, just let it go.”

On his mentality as a shooter:

Clayton: “For sure, every time I shoot of course, I’m going to think it’s going to go in. So I think that’s confidence, I think that’s with every good shooter, I think I still got a ways to go before I’m a great one, but yeah, just confidence.”

On if he knows shots are going in:

Clayton: “For sure. Definitely you know when it’s good, especially after so much repetition. So, definitely.”

On where the game-tying 3 ranks for him:

Clayton: “It’s probably up there toward the top. Off the top of my head, nah, I can’t think of any other one, so it’s definitely up there towards the top.”

On his team settling in after slow starts:

Clayton: “It’s just poise, you know. We’re a poised team, confident in what we do and just, I feel like nobody gets tight in those situations on our team. Everybody kind of relaxes, knows the situation and just is able to come out with a win.”

On how the UK win compares to beating FSU:

Clayton: “It definitely means a lot. The Florida State one probably meant a lot more, I’m not going to lie, but Kentucky it was a good win obviously, a big rivalry, just happy to get the win for us and our fans.”

On how mindful he was of Reed Sheppard’s block of his 3:

Clayton: “We were talking about that after the game. My teammates were talking about that, they don’t know how he got there. I don’t know how he got there, either. It was a great jump by him, he got a piece of the ball. Yeah, that was definitely going through my mind. I know I had got him on a couple of pump fakes even before that, so that last one got him up in the air, got the shot.”

On if he was surprised Kentucky didn’t foul:

Clayton: “Was I? I honestly wasn’t even thinking about that. But looking back to it, yeah, I am kind of surprised.”

On how UF builds on the win at Rupp:

Clayton: “Just keep going, keep doing what we’ve been doing. Obviously, we’ve been on a winning streak right now. Just got to come into practice with the same mentality, do everything the same and just keep preparing the same, just keep that going.”

On the team’s thought process going into OT:

Clayton: “Just trying to string together a couple of stops. It was a few possessions we just couldn’t get a stop and that’s kind of what it seemed like. Just going into overtime, we were talking about it just string together a few stops, and we will get the win.”

On if he’s had a quicker release this season than his go-ahead 3 in OT:

Clayton: “Probably not, I don’t know. Just caught it, turned my body, let it go. So that might have been the quickest, I don’t know. I ain’t been paying attention.”

On if it means anything to him to be ranked:

Clayton: “Being ranked? Um, nah. At the end of the day when everyone gets to March Madness, yeah the seedings and that play a little bit into it. But it’s what, 64 teams, 68 teams. We all gotta come out there, top 68 teams in the country, gotta win.”

On what goes into Florida’s unselfishness:

Clayton: “I think we all just trust each other. Trust plays a big factor into it. So just, us all trusting each other allows us to be unselfish. I trust Riley [Kugel] to take big time shots, I would pass it to him in the same situation, so I think that’s a big part of it, is trust.”

On his reaction when Tyrese Samuel attempts a 3:

Clayton: “That definitely scares me. But, he done hit some, so if he’s open, let them fly.”

On Samuel’s baseline jumper in overtime:

Clayton: “Yeah, to get us started in overtime. His midrange (shots), I’m coming around to them a little more. But the 3s, they still scare me a little.”

On helping Samuel with his shooting form:

Clayton: “I be trying, but whatever works for ’Rese works for him.” 

On his reaction to Handlogten vs. Samuel from 3:

Clayton: “Micah’s form looks good, but I be telling Micah, it’s just his arc. Micah shoots so flat. He’s probably hit a couple 3s off the backboard, right? Yeah. As long as it goes in, I don’t know. They both kind of scare me a little bit. But hey, if they’re going in, I ain’t got no problem with it.”

On the postgame locker room scene at Kentucky:

Clayton: “Obviously happy. We were in there celebrating a little bit. Just enjoying that moment, you know. We just kind of talked about enjoying the moment right now, get over it and move on to the next game.”

On coming to Florida for moments like that:

Clayton: “For sure. I was asked (after the game) is this like a program maker. This program has been great. You know, it’s a great program. We’re just trying to get back to that level.”

On the Kentucky win being a season maker:

Clayton: “I guess you could say that. (Season) starter.” 

On the key to team chemistry:

Clayton: “I’d definitely say practice. We’ve just been going a little harder in practice, playing a lot more in practice and I think our practice is a big part of it. You know, we’re all getting used to each other’s game. Now you can kind of see it on the floor.”

On Zyon Pullin’s play PG:

Clayton: “He’s definitely been giving me and Will [Richard] some great looks. Things like that, I think it all starts in practice.”

On UF’s improved foul shooting: 

Clayton: “Obviously a great relief. You know you’re missing two free throws every time you go every time you go to the line, it’s basically a turnover. So, I’d say it’s less turnovers. Great relief, more points on the board.” 

On how often he makes a 3 without jumping much: 

Clayton: “I don’t know. I jump a little bit. I guess I don’t jump a lot. Some of my coaches be on me about how to use my legs enough in my shot. But hey, if it goes in, it goes in.”

On if he planned to slide-step on that shot:

Clayton: “Nah. It’s just something we kind of work on, you know? Because obviously they worry about my 3, so just get them up in the air and kind of move to the side a little bit, let it go.”

On defending A&M’s Wade Taylor:

Clayton: “If he’s going to beat us, make him beat us with his weakness. We’re just gonna try and force him to do his weakness, not allow him open shots, things like his strength, getting downhill, right. So just trying to take away his strengths and force him to play towards his weaknesses.” 

On the challenge of A&M’s defense:

Clayton: “I think it’ll be hard if we make it hard. Obviously, they’re a very physical team, so just being tough with the ball, getting open, being physical when getting open. I think our physicality is definitely going to play a big part into it.”

On UF’s preparation for the Aggies:

Clayton: “I wouldn’t say we’re doing anything different. You know, obviously what’s working for us right now is working for us. We’re on a winning streak, so just trying to do everything the same, prepare the same way, just go hard in everything we do.”