University of Florida basketball starting guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard have withdrawn their names from the NBA Draft and plan to return to Florida for the 2024-25 season.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Clayton, a transfer from Iona College and former star at Bartow High School, started all 36 games for the Florida Gators last season and emerged as one of the SEC's leading scorers. Clayton averaged 17.6 points per game in 2023-24, tied for sixth in the SEC, including a 33-point performance against Colorado in the Round of 64 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He shot 43.2 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from 3-point range, making a team-high 93 3-pointers. He was named to both the All-SEC and All-SEC Tournament teams.
Creighton scored 20 or more points in 15 games last season and his 633 points last season was the fifth-highest single-season total in team history.
Clayton announced his return with this Instagram post on Monday.
Florida basketball guard Will Richard also returns.
Richard also announced his return to UF on social media over the weekend.
The 6-foot-4, 206-pound Richard appeared in 35 of 36 games at Florida last season, averaging 11.4 points and 3.9 rebounds. He made a career-high 70 3-pointers last season, shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from 3-point range.
Richard had six games of 20 or more points last season, including two 23-point games in UF's home wins over No. 16-ranked Alabama and Mississippi State. He has scored a total of 1,143 points in three college seasons, including 744 points in two seasons at Florida.
With the additions of Clayton and Richard, Florida returns three starters from a team that finished 24-12 last season, although center Micah Handrotten will likely redshirt the 2024-25 season after suffering a compound fracture of his lower left leg last March.
Florida was active in the transfer portal, adding guard Aliyah Martin (University of Florida), forward Sam Alexis (Chattanooga) and forward Reuben Chiniere (Washington State). Rising sophomores Alex Condon and Thomas Howe also return, along with rising third-year guard Denzel Aberdeen and rising sophomore guard Kayus Kubrickas.
