PG Transfer Zyon Pullin Names Florida Among Five Potential Suitors

UC Riverside guard transfer Zyon Pullin withdrew his name from the 2023 NBA Draft pool on Thursday. Five suitors, including Florida, are vying for his services.

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Todd Golden and Co. have taken a systematic approach to their transfer portal search as of late after an aggressive string of commitments to begin the cycle. Bringing in four transfer talents to fill vital roles in the starting five and rotation to pair with two incoming freshmen and four returning pieces from a year ago, the Gators find just ten of the allotted 13 scholarship spots occupied thus far. 

But that's mainly by design.

Looking to strategically equip the roster with talent suitable to produce at the SEC level immediately — a change in approach from the staff's first offseason in which the pieces it quickly brought in to fill the voids created by an influx of departures underperformed — Florida's been methodical when targeting transfer prospects since the board began to dry up in mid-April.

However, Wednesday marked another crucial moment in college basketball's equivalent to free agency as the deadline for athletes to remain in or withdraw their name from the 2023 NBA Draft arrived. While a few remained eligible for selection, several marquee names returned to school.

Of the prospects re-inserted into the transfer portal talent pool, former UC Riverside guard Zyon Pullin announced his decision to come back for the fifth and final season.

Simultaneously, he shared the five schools moving forward in contention for his services, pitting Florida against Gonzaga, LSU, Michigan and Xavier.

On3 Sports' Joe Tipton first reported the news.

Earning his stripes as a dynamic all-around guard with the ability to attack all three levels of the floor on the offensive end, Pullin produced at an uber-efficient rate during his senior season.

He posted 18.3 points on 48.6% from the field and 39.4% from three, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 29 appearances.

While the level of competition was notably lesser with the Highlanders in the Big West than it would be in the Power Six, there is optimism for the long-limbed 6-foot-4, 195-pound guard's skills to translate despite the awaited step up in competition derived from his performance against two Pac-12 teams and one Big East team last year.

Against Oregon in Eugene, Pullin produced as a highly efficient scorer, compiling 21 points on 52.9% from the field to pair with five rebounds and three assists. His 17 points on 50% from the floor and six rebounds against Colorado affirmed his ability to operate effectively against high-level opponents.

Pullin struggled to score relative to his usual production in his lone appearance against the Big East — home of 2022-23 national champion UConn. He allotted just eight points on 4-for-10 shooting. 

However, he still found ways to impact the game for the outmatched UC Riverside squad, as he brought down six boards and dished two assists in the contest while working against high-caliber guard Ryan Nembhard.

The three performances stand out as positives even when attempting to scrutinize Pullin's well-versed resume.

Accordingly, the two-time All- Big West guard is one of the last prospects on the Gators' radar that could reasonably fill the team's starting point guard position. If UF were the destination, he'd work in tandem with combo guard Walter Clayton Jr. in the 2023-24 season.

Florida's attempted to get him on campus recently, as have the other schools in his top five, but the two parties have yet to pinpoint a time for a trip to Gainesville. 

With his testing of the professional waters behind him — finishing his final workout of the process with the Pistons in Detroit on Wednesday — it's assumed concrete dates will begin to form as early as Thursday.

Florida hopes to secure the dynamic offensive weapon to advance its offense in the upcoming campaign.

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