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The thing about Walt…..

Discussion in 'Nuttin but Net' started by outbackjack, Mar 24, 2025.

  1. outbackjack

    outbackjack Premium Member

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    He’s an absolute killer with ice in his veins.
    We all see it.
    The clutch shots. The mid range.

    The thing that has SHOCKED me is when he makes his mind up he’s going to the rim……it’s over.

    The explosion, the hops, the power, the aggression, the feather touch, the change in mid air ability to get the most effective angle.

    Not bad for someone Rick Pitino once called “slow and fat, but he can pass” during recruiting.
     
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  2. VTGator

    VTGator GC Hall of Fame

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    What!?
     
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  3. outbackjack

    outbackjack Premium Member

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    Yup. Rick Pitino. Didn’t take him long to figure out he had a beast. Sophomore year Walt was conference player of the year at Iona.
     
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  4. outbackjack

    outbackjack Premium Member

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  5. akaGatorhoops

    akaGatorhoops GC Columnist VIP Member

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    did Pitino actually say this?
    I followed Walt’s career at Iona… and Pitino LOVED him. He referred to Walt as the best freshman he has ever coached… an incredible comment, considering Rick’s resume.
     
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  6. bogator

    bogator GC Hall of Fame

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    He said it when he saw Walter’s tape before he offered him. Said he was a great passer though so he offered him. This was during COVID though so only got to recruit him via tape
     
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  7. gatorranger7

    gatorranger7 GC Legend

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    Chris Harry wrote the article. It's in print.
     
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  8. fox

    fox GC Hall of Fame

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    All 3 guards can go to the rim any time they want and make it or get fouled.
     
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  9. akaGatorhoops

    akaGatorhoops GC Columnist VIP Member

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    Yeah- I just read. Really good article.
     
  10. akaGatorhoops

    akaGatorhoops GC Columnist VIP Member

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    yeah- really good article.
     
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  11. audiogatorjim

    audiogatorjim GC Hall of Fame

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  12. manigordo

    manigordo GC Hall of Fame

    Didn't he love Billy D and say the same thing about him?
     
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  13. FranceGator

    FranceGator GC Hall of Fame

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    From the 2023 article: “during workouts the last two-plus months the 6-foot-2, 195-pound combo guard has shown himself to be a crafty complement to sophomore standout Riley Kugel

    Hahahahahahahahahahaha. Things…changed.
     
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  14. beechgator

    beechgator GC Legend

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  15. rserina

    rserina GC Hall of Fame

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    One thing I've noticed is that Clayton's strength, especially his legs, enables him to get off shots others can't. So many of those threes aren't even step backs, but literally at an angle going away from the wing toward the sideline. He almost exclusively uses a fadeaway mid ranger jumper at the elbow/in the lane, but the shot is never short. And his stuff at the rim is always explosive vertically to protect against against shotblockers. He didn't shoot as well in the paint yesterday as he has most of the season (only 1-6 against well over 50% on the year), but a Clayton scoring at all three levels is just impossible to defend--and also opens up passes to baseline cutters and bigs slipping to the rim.

    The other thing I saw against UConn was a confidence shooting against hard hedges that he simply did not have earlier in the season. On some of those shots (make or miss), he almost used the hedger to screen his defender by drifting the hedger's direction before he released. Never noticed that until now.
     
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  16. GratefulGator

    GratefulGator GC Hall of Fame

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    Jr is a baller.
     
  17. 95Gator

    95Gator GC Hall of Fame

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    It’s not so much the strength on those fadeaways as it is to know the exact moment of strength to give as your fading away. Michael Jordan was known for it. Every nano second it’s another adjustment you have to shoot against on timing and power. He makes em a lot and allows him an uncontested shots from much taller forwards and centers. He bad.
     
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  18. tampajack1

    tampajack1 Premium Member

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    Billy Donovan also was slow and fat when he started playing for Pitino at Providence. Not so when he helped lead Providence to the Final Four.
     
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  19. regurgigator

    regurgigator VIP Member

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    Clayton's shooting at the end of the UConn game reminded me of Clayton's amazing performance in bringing us back to tie Colorado at the end of last season's opening round game - before we ultimately lost on the last second Colorado push-off and jump shot.

    I've always got a lot of skepticism toward claims of "clutch" shooting, which statistics generally show as unfounded for many supposedly "clutch" players, but I do believe the phenomenon exists. I think it's just much more rare than most think. I'm defining "clutch" as more than just not choking in clutch moments, but as actually raising your game beyond your normal capabilities (such as your average shooting percentage) in clutch moments.

    And, I'm starting to wonder if maybe Clayton has that rare "clutch" gene.
     
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  20. jeffphillips21

    jeffphillips21 GC Hall of Fame

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    A big part of that clutch "gene" comes from the confidence to take and make that shot when the game is on the line. Clayton clearly puts in the work. Work + confidence + ability + titanium balls = clutch gene
     
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