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Once SEC rivals, Jahmai Mashack and Walter Clayton Jr. are Grizzlies rookies
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- Once SEC rivals, Jahmai Mashack and Walter Clayton Jr. are Grizzlies rookies
Jahmai Mashack wondered if the Memphis Grizzlies had a vendetta against him.
After all, the team selected him in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft and paired him with Zach Edey — the player who ended Mashack's junior season at Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.
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Then, on Feb. 3 ahead of the NBA trade deadline, the Grizzlies added another familiar foe: former Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. in an eight-player trade with the Utah Jazz. Clayton's Gators defeated the Vols and Mashack in the 2025 SEC Championship Game during their senior seasons.
Mashack is a rarity in today's college basketball landscape — a four-year player drafted after spending his entire career at one school. With that longevity comes deep-rooted pride. Now with the Grizzlies, he's had to set aside past heartbreak at the hands of former rivals who are suddenly teammates.
"So it's bittersweet. But nah, they're both cool guys," Mashack told The Commercial Appeal. "I've gotten to know Zach a lot more, but Walter — I've been able to get to know him pretty well, too. He's a basketball head. He wants to get better. He wants to hoop. Anybody with that mindset is going to be a good teammate for me. I think it's a good fit."
A college rivalry
Neither Mashack nor Clayton could recall exactly how many times they faced off in college. Both unsurprisingly assumed they had the edge, but in reality, Tennessee and Florida split four meetings during Clayton's two SEC seasons that overlapped with Mashack.
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They might not remember the exact number of matchups, but it doesn't take long for college athletes to recognize true rivals. For Mashack, the feeling started before his first game.
"It's funny, man. I first felt it in football," Mashack said. "But then I played Florida and felt it firsthand. Ever since then, beating those types of teams — and we had a lot of rivalries — but Florida always feels good, especially at Tennessee. The fans love it even more."
Inside the Tennessee vs Florida battles
Clayton remembers his only losses to Tennessee coming on the road at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tennessee won the only matchup in 2024, and Florida took two of three meetings in 2025.
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Clayton was an All-SEC and a first-team AP All-American as a senior. But games against Tennessee were among his toughest challenges. He shot 13-for-41 (31.7%) and scored 39 total points across three games against the Vols that season.
"I mean, Tennessee was a great defensive team as a whole, and obviously (Mashack) was a great defensive player — still is in the league," Clayton told The Commercial Appeal. "You see a lot of flashes of that. So it was tough. Just learning what shots I could get off against them, against their coverages and things like that."
In the end, Clayton had the final word. Florida defeated Tennessee in the SEC Championship game, where he was named tournament MVP, and he later helped lead the Gators win a national championship.
Mashack's favorite memory against Clayton came in response to a humbling loss. Tennessee fell 73-43 to Florida on Jan. 7, 2025 — its worst defeat of the season. The Vols got one more regular-season shot at revenge.
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Mashack recalled watching ESPN's "College GameDay" the morning of the rematch and hearing analysts predict another blowout. He used that as fuel, rallying his teammates around the outside noise.
The result? Tennessee handed Florida its only double-digit loss of the season.
"We came out with so much energy," Mashack said. "We wanted to beat those guys so bad. We were locked in on everything with Florida, especially that game. It was great."
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Familiarity breeds chemistry
Mashack and Clayton are still navigating life as NBA rookies. With so many new faces, familiarity can matter.
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When Clayton joined the Grizzlies, Mashack made a point to break the ice. Shared SEC battles made that easier. And it doesn't hurt that the rivalry was competitive — not one-sided. Mashack admitted that having his wins against Clayton makes that easier.
Things aren't any different for Clayton. He also appreciates seeing a familiar face.
"It's good to have somebody like Shaq on the team," Clayton said. "He's going to play hard, and other teams don't really want to go against him because of how hard he plays. So it's great to have him around."
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: NBA rookies Jahmai Mashack, Walter Clayton Jr. talk Tennessee vs Florida
