Column: Gators Guard Zyon Pullin Deserves More National Recognition

Florida Gators guard Zyon Pullin is performing as one of the best players in the country. He should be recognized as such.

Photo: Gators guard Zyon Pullin; Credit: Zach Goodall 

Florida's recent surge into the AP Top 25 has rekindled a buzz surrounding Gators' basketball following the fanbase's extended feeling of apathy toward the once prestigious program.

At the forefront of the resurgence in year two of head coach Todd Golden's reign is fifth-year point guard Zyon Pullin.

Participating in his first campaign with the Gators following a stellar four-year stint at UC Riverside under head coach Mike Magpayo, Pullin's picked up where he left off with the Highlanders since arriving in Gainesville. The uptick in competition the SEC has to offer hasn't stood in his way. 

He's averaging 15.6 points, four rebounds, 4.9 assists and slightly over one turnover per game through 22 appearances.

In doing so, Pullin has shined as a dynamic all-around floor general with an unreplicable offensive repertoire that can adapt based on the team's most glaring need at any point. 

By nature, the Pleasant Hill, Calif., native is a multi-faceted scorer who can create and knock down shots at all three levels.

He works downhill toward the basket with relative ease, possesses the stop-and-pop ability from 15-to-18 feet and shoots 40% (24/60) from downtown on the year.

According to Golden, Pullin works the midrange better than any player he's coached. A significant component in his prowess inside the arc is his underrated ability to replicate his motion and keep rhythm in his upper half while working out of different lower-body bases, to take full advantage of the minimal space he creates from his man upon elevation into his jump shot. 

That isn't to mention his equally admirable ability to gather off the dribble. 

But Pullin's more than a mere scorer. He's a facilitator, a ball-handler, a floor general, demonstrated by his 4.12 assist-to-turnover ratio — good for second-best in the country — and more games without a turnover (6) than games with multiple (5) this season.

Simply put, he sets up the offense, himself and others to make winning plays. And he does so while caring for the basketball.

Florida guard Zyon Pullin brings the ball up the court against No. 12 Auburn in Gainesville / Zach Goodall

He's catalyzed UF's team-wide effort in 2023-24, as the group is on pace to post over 20 wins for the first time since 2017-18. Florida's moved from an unstable bubble squad to a bonafide tournament team under his guidance. It now poses a legitimate threat for a previously unforeseen run in March when the madness commences.

However, despite Pullin's elite form and Florida's uptick in success, Pullin hasn't earned due recognition on a national scale.

On Thursday, the Naismith Trophy Midseason Player of the Year watchlist was released. It included 30 talents from around the country. Among the mix was 21 guards.

The Gators point guard was a notable omission from the list.

Pullin's output rivals the best college basketball has to offer on an individual basis, and it's directly turning into wins for the Gators.

Without Pullin in charge, UF's drastic uptick in success to hold an 18-7 (8-4 SEC) record with six regular season matchups remaining isn't a reality.

The Gators got a taste of life without their star guard to begin the season, as Pullin served a three-game suspension at the beginning of the season, which was handed down by the NCAA due to his participation in a pre-NBA Draft showcase as he aggressively pursued a move to start the pros, I might add.

They went 2-1 without him. But, his absence from a three-point loss to Virginia in game two was glaring, given the late-game ball-handling woes that resulted in back-to-back turnovers to allow the Cavaliers to put the contest on ice.

Upon returning, Pullin aided Florida to dismantle Florida State at home, 89-68, extending its winning streak to three over the in-state rival Seminoles. He flashed his professional-level skillset coming off the bench, accounting for 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and just one turnover in his Gators debut. 

Valiantly commanding the unit since — elevated to a permanent starting role ahead of UF's bout against Baylor in game five — Pullin's served as the only athlete on the Gators roster to record double-digit points in every game he's appeared in on top of a team-leading 4.9 assists per contest. 

The latter mark is good for 57th-best in the country among eligible players.

He's accordingly rated No. 4 in offensive rating, No. 10 in assist rate, No. 8 in turnover rate and No. 20 in three-point percentage in league games while playing the most minutes of any player in the SEC, per KenPom.

This argument isn't for Pullin to win awards or be deemed the nation's top talent. Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht and Purdue big man Zach Edey credibly jockey as top candidates to take home the prestigious award upon the regular season's close.

Instead, it's a call for rightful recognition and an evidence-based indication that the exclusion of the Florida guard from national Player of the Year conversations is short-sighted and simply incorrect.

With two matchups against Alabama guard Mark Sears, a named candidate for the aforementioned award, on the horizon to close the regular season, Pullin has the opportunity to catapult himself into his deserved position of individual relevancy, although a spot he should already be in. 

Nonetheless, the Gators standout is producing as one of the best players in the country, regardless of position and/or conference.

It's time he's rightfully billed as such.

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