Analyzing Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, and Chad Baker-Mazara in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament

April 5th, 2025

Today, I took the time to watch a very competitive Final Four game that took place between Florida and Auburn in a matchup in which the winner would get to the title game. Auburn had the early first half lead, but Florida had strong play from their guards, as well as a dominant performance from Walter Clayton Jr., who scored 34 points to lead the Gators to the win over Auburn. Florida’s shot making and execution was superb in the second half, and they have proved their mettle, and the team they will be facing could in for a very tough matchup on Monday. Here are my thoughts on how Clayton and other various prospects fared in this game, as well as where they may currently stack up as prospects for the NBA.

Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. scored 34 points and made 5 threes to lead his team to a 79-73 win over Auburn to get his team to the championship game on Monday night. (Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images, via The Washington Post)

Walter Clayton Jr. had a superb showing to lead his team to a comeback win over Auburn. He is a fleet-footed guard that did a tremendous job of making shots, and he is a sharpshooter that made tough shots effortlessly to help his team get the victory.

Clayton shot the ball really well, especially from downtown. He showed a knack for making smooth three-pointers, as he has great footwork that he can use to make pull-up threes, and he also would make threes off of dribble handoffs. Plus, he did a great job of scoring off the dribble, and he is a shifty guard that can glide past defenders to consistently finish plays around the basket, as he was able to get some tough scores in traffic. He also showed great blow-by speed to drive past defenders to score on a speedy drive in transition while getting fouled once.

He also displayed adequate playmaking skills. His shot making was more than enough for Florida, and he also was able to make a drive and kick pass to find the open man. He generally was very solid with the ball in his hands. On a couple of occasions though, he would face heavy ball pressure and wind up committing a couple of ball-handling turnovers. Still, Clayton’s tremendous shot making far outweighed the few turnovers he committed in this game. He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball, and he was able to get boards on both ends of the floor.

In general, Walter Clayton Jr. had a tremendous game, as he scored 34 points and made 5 three-pointers to help his team get a hard-fought win over Auburn to get his team to the title game. He has been playing terrific basketball lately, and he would be a great value pick for an NBA team in the first round of the 2025 draft, as he could end up playing well in any role in the NBA.

Florida’s Alijah Martin scored 17 points, made 2 threes, and had 3 rebounds in his team’s 79-73 win over Auburn. (Photo: Bob Donnan/Imagn Images, via Fansided’s Hail Florida Hail)

Alijah Martin also played very well to help lead his team to a win over Auburn. He is a very athletic combo guard that did a very good job of making plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get the victory.

Martin showed a knack for making outside shots to provide floor spacing for his team on offense. He excelled at making pull-up jumpers, and he generally shot the three-ball well as he was able to make shots off the catch and dribble. He also excelled at scoring on quick drives in transition, as he would throw down thunderous dunks to give his team a boost. He also showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble, and he was able to score on a strong drive off of a dribble handoff while getting fouled once.

He generally played very well on offense, but sometimes he would over-dribble and get tied up by defenders, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers. Though he didn’t get many boards, he was able to get a few defensive rebounds in this game. He also defended very well. He showed a knack for intercepting loose balls and passes to get steals for his team.

In summary, Martin had a strong performance to help lead his team to a win over Auburn, and he has been instrumental in helping his team get to the title game. He would be a great value pick for an NBA team in the late first to the second round range of the 2025 draft, and he has the skills to be a solid role player in the NBA.

Chad Baker-Mazara had a solid showing in his team’s loss to Florida. He had a solid all-around performance, and he consistently made plays on both ends of the floor to keep his team in the ball game.

Baker-Mazara shot the ball very well to help provide floor spacing for his team on offense. He showed a knack for making threes, as he can make them both off the catch and dribble, and he especially excelled at scoring on spot-up jumpers off the catch. He also did a good job of scoring off the dribble, and he showed good speed, body control, and finishing ability to consistently score at the rim.

As a playmaker, he looked to be fairly average. He was able to throw accurate passes to teammates on the move to set up plenty of scoring chances for them, and he will make the extra pass to find the open man. Sometimes though, he would throw inaccurate passes that would go astray. Another time, he received an opportunity to take a three-point shot, but he left his feet too soon after using a pump fake, which led him to commit a traveling violation.

He didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, but he was able to get a defensive board once. He also defended well. He is an active, athletic help defender that would get his hands on passes and balls to get numerous steals and deflections, and he also blocked a three-point shot to a teammate. However, he was too small to defend in the post, and on one play, he gave up deep position and fouled his man to give up the score and an extra free throw.

Overall, Baker-Mazara played well in his team’s loss, and he is a smooth, versatile swingman that primarily excelled as a shooter, scorer, and defender in this game, and he could project well into a 3 and D role in the NBA.

Florida’s 6-9 sophomore forward, Thomas Haugh played very well in his team’s win over Auburn. He is an athletic, skilled forward that showed a lot of skills and promise to help his team get the victory.

He did a very good job of making shots on offense. He would score on strong drives to the hoop, and he also made a tough jump hook out of the post while getting fouled. While he was streaky with his jump shot, Haugh was able to make a spot-up three smoothly to help give his team some much needed momentum.

He also displayed fairly average playmaking skills. He was able to make a solid pass to get the ball to a teammate, and he also handles the ball well for a player his size. Sometimes though, he would struggle to handle the ball when pressured, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers.

He also rebounded the ball well, and he was quite active at crashing the glass. He also defended well, as he would use his length to block and contest shots to help his team protect the paint, and he also jumped on a loose ball to help his team get a steal. On one play when defending in the post, he got beat on a drop step move to give up a basket.

Overall, Haugh is an athletic, face-up forward that has the quickness and athleticism to take slower footed big men off the dribble and can block shots, and he also has the shooting touch to make threes to provide some floor spacing. Right now, he is a second round prospect, and he is a skilled forward that could end up being a versatile role player in the NBA.

Auburn’s Johni Broome had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Florida. Even though he accumulated points in volume and his team had the lead in the first half, he wasn’t making shots efficiently, and he had some defensive struggles that hindered his team down the stretch, as he had trouble keeping up with quicker players late in the game. While his guards didn’t get him easier shots, he didn’t make it easier on himself, as he wasn’t able to establish a reliable outside shot to keep defenders honest.

Broome showed a fairly solid ability to score out of the post. He was able to score on a smooth, turnaround fadeaway jumper early on, and he can use his brute strength to score on drop step moves and draw fouls to get to the free throw line. He also has a pump fake that he can use to get defenders in the air to get easier scoring chances for himself. On the downside, he would tend to miss on jump hooks late in this game.

He was active at looking to score on hustle plays, and he was able to score on a put back, and draw free throws on a roll to the rim. He was able to use a spin move to score on a jump hook off the dribble, but Broome generally would take tough shots that would lead to misses, and his lack of elite foot speed and quickness made it tough for him to score down the stretch. He also attempted a couple of outside shots, but he wasn’t able to connect on either of his three-point shots.

He displayed adequate playmaking skills. Broome would throw accurate passes, and he was able to throw a crisp lob pass to get an assist to a teammate at the rim. However, he would sometimes tend to over-dribble and force the issue too much, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers.

Surprisingly, Broome didn’t grab as many rebounds as anticipated. He still was effective as an offensive rebounder, but he didn’t grab nearly enough defensive boards in this game. Defensively, he looked to be fairly average. He showed good strength to hold his ground when defending in the post to force misses early on, and he can use his length and positioning to block shots to help his team protect the paint. He also managed to intercept a pass to get a steal once. However, he would also struggle to defend quick moves off the dribble or out of the post, which would cause him to allow scores. Sometimes he would merely jog back rather than hustle back, and he would be late on his rotations and would be unable to contest shots at the rim, which would lead his team to give up baskets.

Overall, Broome didn’t have his best game, and as a prospect, he’s shown clearly established strengths and weaknesses for the NBA. For the positives, he is a strong big man that is a reliable post presence, as he can provide scoring, rebounding, and interior defense. However, he’s not an explosive athlete, lacks a reliable outside shot, is not an elite passer, and can struggle to defend opponents in space. Right now, he is a second round prospect, and he despite not having his best game, he has the skills to be a solid rotational big man in the NBA.

Rueben Chinyelu quietly played well in his team’s win over Auburn. Florida’s 6-10 sophomore center was both extremely effective as a defender, and also excelled at scoring out of the post. Chinyelu was able to score on strong moves out of the post, as he was able to use a drop step to score once, and he also managed to score on a fadeaway jump hook.

He also rebounded and defended very well, and is an extremely active presence down low to help his team protect the paint. He would use his length, activity, and instincts to block and contest shots off the dribble and when defending in the post to force misses. He also managed to cut off penetration when defending on a drive to help force a turnover, and he also rotated to poke a ball away to get a steal.

Overall, Chinyelu had a solid showing in his team’s win over Auburn. He is a strong, athletic big man that has a terrific motor, and he has the skills to excel in a backup center role in the NBA.

Dylan Cardwell is an athletic, strong big man that had a fairly solid showing in his team’s loss to Florida. He did a great job of scoring on rolls to the rim, and he would often score on powerful dunks to help his team on offense. He also rebounded very well, and was able to intercept a pass to get a steal. Overall, Cardwell excelled at making plays in the paint to help his team in this game, and he is an athletic, high-motor player that may have what it takes to make it as a backup center at the NBA level.

Miles Kelly had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Florida. He is an agile, skilled swingman that showed the ability to move off the ball to make quick, spot-up threes, but he really struggled to make shots consistently, and his second half play was disappointing as he took a lot of tough shots that led to misses.

He was streaky with his outside shot, but he was at his best when he would run quickly off ball screens to make threes off the catch. Kelly also managed to score on a tough drive in transition in traffic. However, he tended to miss on tough pull-up threes as well as on contested shots off the dribble, and he should’ve looked for easier shots to score on offense. He also had a ball ripped away from him to commit a turnover once. Another time, he struggled to create something off of a baseline drive and had his pass deflected that led his team to commit a shot clock violation.

He also was able to get some rebounds to get his fair share of boards. Plus, Kelly also defended well. He is an active, athletic help defender that would pressure opposing ball handlers, and force misses and turnovers. He was able to pressure an opponent in the backcourt to help his team get a tie up to help his team get a steal. He also was able to poke a ball away to get a steal, and he also ran in to deflect a pass another time due to possessing long arms and solid timing. Plus, he also was able to hustle back to contest a shot to prevent an opponent from scoring on the break. On the downside, there was one play where he fouled a jump shooter on a three-point shot, as he was too aggressive on the close out that time.

Overall, Kelly didn’t have his best game, but he’s shown promise as an athletic 3 and D role player, which would be his likely role at the NBA level. He’ll need to be a more consistent player in games, and he’ll need to improve his jump shot further to become an elite shooter, but Kelly is a promising prospect that could project to be an effective role player in the NBA.

Alex Condon didn’t hae his best game, but he was able to make some solid passes to help his team, and he was able to get his team some pivotal stops on the defensive end. He struggled to consistently create off the bounce in one-on-one situations, but he was able to draw free throws on a cut to show that he can score on the move.

He also displayed decent playmaking skills. Condon is an unselfish player that can make dribble handoff and entry passes to get the ball to his teammates to set up scores for them. However, sometimes he would throw hasty, inaccurate passes that would result in turnovers.

While he didn’t get enough boards for a player his size, Condon was able to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor, and he was able to establish a presence on the offensive glass. He also defended well. He was able to leap up to block a dunk attempt. He also successfully drew a charge when defending in the post. Plus, his length and activity when closing out on a three-point shooter helped force a travel once.

Overall, Condon didn’t have his best game, but he is a mobile, skilled big man that was still able to make team plays to help Florida get the win. He’ll have an opportunity to showcase his skills in the title game, and despite having an off shooting night, he could project to be an effective rotational big man in the NBA.

Will Richard didn’t have his best game, but he was still able to make some solid plays on both ends of the floor. Richard defended very well, as he was able to intercept pass to get a steal, and he would frequently rip balls away from opposing ball handlers to get other steals.

While he struggled to make threes or shots off the dribble consistently, Richard was able to drive hard off of an offensive rebound to score in traffic while getting fouled. He also would use his crafty pump fake to frequently get to the free throw line. All in all, Richard didn’t play as well as expected, but he didn’t have to, and he made enough team plays to help get his team the win, and he is a fairly athletic, skilled combo guard that may have the skills to make it to the NBA.

Tahaad Pettiford really struggled in his team’s loss to Florida. After he dominated in his team’s win over Michigan, Pettiford had a terrible showing in this game against the Gators. Pettiford missed all of his threes, as he would continually take tough threes off the dribble that would often lead to misses. He was able to use a hesitation move to score on a crafty reverse layup off the dribble. However, his tendency to take tough, contested shots ended up hurting his shooting percentages.

He also was quite turnover prone on offense. On one good play, he was able to throw a sharp pass to a roll man to notch an assist. However, he tended to drop catchable passes that would lead to team turnovers, and he had surprisingly bad hands in this game. He also threw a hasty pass that got intercepted. Another time, when driving to the hoop, he got the ball ripped away from him to commit another turnover.

On the bright side, he did a decent job of rebounding the basketball for a player his size. He was active defensively. Pettiford contested a corner three to force a miss. He also intercepted a pass to get a steal. On one play though, he rotated but bit wildly on a pump fake, and ended up fouling an opposing ball handler that time.

All in all, Walter Clayton Jr. had a tremendous performance to lead Florida to a win over Auburn, and he put on a show to help lead his team to the title game. It will be interesting to see how well Florida will match up against Houston in the championship game on Monday, and it will be interesting to see what will happen then. Thanks for reading.