While his "clutch gene" has been critical to Florida's run, more relevant for NBA purposes is that his ability to shoot off the catch with deep range gives him extreme gravity, while his ability to shoot off the dribble prevents defenders from ever going under ball-screens and thus enhances his playmaking ability.

But it’s his 34-point outing against Auburn in the Final Four on Saturday that has led to ESPN’s Jay Williams declaring he’d take him as high as No. 2 in the upcoming NBA Draft. He has him coming off the board right after Duke forward Cooper Flagg.

The 6-foot-3 senior from Lake Wales, Fla., poured in 34 points in Florida’s national semifinal victory over Auburn that propelled the Gators into Monday’s NCAA championship game against Houston. In five NCAA Tournament games, Clayton has combined to score 123 points. He’s averaging 24.6 points while shooting 49% from deep in the tournament.