Clayton helped lead Florida to a huge comeback to stun Houston and grab a 65-63 win in the national championship game in San Antonio, Texas. Clayton, despite a very slow start in the title game that saw him go more than 25 minutes without scoring, was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.

After capping off an outstanding March Madness run with a 65-63 win over Houston in the national championship game on Monday, Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. was named the 2025 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

The Florida Gators and Houston Cougars will collide in San Antonio’s Alamodome for the men’s national title on Monday after a Final Four that was simply magical.

Florida has won its first national championship since 2007 and its third overall after beating Houston 65-63 in the 2025 men’s NCAA title game. Houston was in front for the majority of the game, leading by as many as 12 points,