Column: Florida Guard Zyon Pullin Hitting His Stride at the Perfect Time

The Gators brought guard Zyon Pullin in to be a difference-maker as a scorer, facilitator and floor general. He's hitting his stride at the perfect time.

Photo: Florida guard Zyon Pullin; Credit: Zach Goodall 

Zyon Pullin is currently "playing like one of the best point guards in America," in the opinion of his head coach. He ranks ninth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.85) and hasn't gone a single game without scoring double-digit points. 

He's been efficient all season. But, with the Gators on the cusp of league play, his production has impressively ascended.

The Florida guard's move to Gainesville for the 2023-24 season was anything but orthodox.

After completing four productive campaigns under Mike Magpayo at UC Riverside, the 6-foot-4, 206-pound point guard sought a new chapter in his basketball career. He entered the transfer portal while also declaring for the NBA Draft.

Following an extensive look at his potential jump to the pros, Pullin elected to return to college for one more season. 

As he shifted his focus back to his transfer recruitment, UF head coach Todd Golden, assistant Kevin Hovde and the rest of the Gators staff greeted him at the metaphorical door. The need for a dynamic one-guard and primary ball-handler was paramount on the remaining portal shopping list for the Gators. 

Four days after completing his June 3-4 official visit to campus, Pullin became the eighth and final — yet arguably most impactful in hindsight — addition to the team for year two of Golden's lead in Gainesville.

He immediately garnered high internal expectations. The immediate practice returns displayed his professional-caliber skillset and valuable experience, as Pullin was everything the staff bargained for.

"Zyon, can't say enough about him," Golden told All Gators during an exclusive interview in the preseason. "Just being a veteran presence. I think he's a really strong, heady player.

"And where he's a little level above is he can really score. Can make shots, make threes, make floaters and they're going to have to honor him on the court."

The head coach complimented the Pleasant Hill, Calif., native's on-ball skills, strength, physicality, wits, competitiveness and defensive fortitude.

Florida Gators guard Zyon Pullin participated in the three-point contest during the Orange and Blue game this past preseason :: © Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner / USA TODAY NETWORK

Simply put, Pullin was an all-around prospect. One who displayed the potential to elevate the Florida team to the heights it hoped to reach in year two of the program rebuild.

Now, fewer than four months later, he's proving such in live-game action.

Pullin is elevating Florida to pose a legitimate threat to national championship-contending programs. He's spearheading the Gators' quest for a return to the NCAA Tournament, averaging 14.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and five assists per game in his 10 appearances.

And luckily for Golden and Co., with the Southeastern Conference opener against Kentucky on the horizon, Pullin is operating at an uber-high level.

He's finding his full form at a perfect time.

Likewise, so is Florida.

Pullin's absence for the first three contests of the Gators' 2023-24 campaign — due to a suspension handed down by the NCAA for his participation in the Portsmouth Invitational when he explored his professional options — was noticeable.

"We definitely missed him for the first few games of the season," Golden said on Thursday. 

Florida's narrow loss to Virginia in game two is the best example, as two-guard Walter Clayton Jr. — working out of position at the one as the Gators waited for Pullin's return — turned the ball over twice in the final minute to allow the Cavaliers to seal the deal on a win.

The presence of a steady hand handling the basketball late in the matchup proved to be detrimental in the Gators' 73-70 loss.

However, in game four against Florida State, Pullin was injected into the lineup. His presence immediately made a difference as the Gators cruised to produce a statement victory over their in-state foe, the Seminoles.

He performed efficiently in his first seven outings after the suspension, posting 12.7 points and five assists on average to align as the team's purest point guard and clear-cut top assist man. That's not to mention his oft-overlooked defensive contribution.

Excelling as a facilitator with impressive court vision while also presenting a go-to ball-handling figure with the knack to play at his own pace, he's provided stability to the Gators' attack. It's helped five UF players — Walter Clayton Jr., Riley Kugel, Will Richard, Tyrese Samuel, and Pullin himself — average double-digit points through 13 games, with all four scoring over 20 points in a contest this season.

However, his deference to other capable talent sometimes limited his impact as a scorer, a critical factor in Florida's pursuit of him this past offseason.

He's found himself in that regard in the last three games. 

Gators guard Zyon Pullin is averaging 14.1 points and five assists per game in 10 appearances this season / Zach Goodall

Pullin broke out of his shell against Michigan in the Jumpman Invitation in Charlotte, N.C. — in the exact location as Florida's loss to Virginia.

Dropping 22 points, five assists and just one turnover on the night, Pullin's outing was highlighted by several vital buckets, including an end-of-first-half half-court buzzer beater and a game-tying three as time winded down in the first overtime period.

His success willed the Gators to the 106-101 victory despite overall low energy from Golden's group.

Amid the bout with the Wolverines, Pullin found the medium of taking control as a scorer while still making smart decisions with the basketball.

Most prominently, Pullin's ability to attack the basket and get to the free-throw line significantly aided Florida in the double-overtime win.

The game served as a microcosm for his ensuing performances.

He's a true three-level scorer who posted a 39% mark from downtown in 2022-23, but his prowess shooting beyond the arc doesn't define his game. He's attempted just 21 throughout the current campaign, connecting on nine for an average of 43%.

Instead, Pullin has relied more prominently on his midrange shooting and finishing at the basket. He flashed the former in his aforementioned breakout game against Michigan, where he knocked down two crucial fadeaway baseline jumpers from 15-to-18 feet and displayed a patent floater down the stretch of the second half.

He maintained that form against Grambling State and Quinnipiac to close the non-conference slate, earning more praise from his head coach. 

"He's just a stud, man," Golden said candidly following Pullin's 14-point, six-assist, zero-turnover night in Florida's blowout win over Grambling State. "He's an absolute stud. Veteran. Leader. Plays his tail off every day. Wants to take the best perimeter player on the other team. Doesn't wear down. Doesn't fatigue. Never gets selfish. He's just a great point guard to have. He makes everybody better."

Pullin's 17.3 points and five assists — progressing to a total of 50 assists to just 13 turnovers on the year — per game in the last three appearances helps illustrate Golden's synopsis.

"We're awfully happy to have him here now," he concluded his statement by saying.

As they should be.

Pullin's uptick in production paid dividends for the Gators squad en route to finishing the month of December with a 6-0 record and posting a 10-3 mark throughout the non-conference slate.

Florida hopes the fifth-year guard will maintain his elite play from a scoring, facilitating, ball security and defensive standpoint with the heightened competition the SEC brings. Doing so would put the Gators in a firm position to compete for a comfortable berth into March Madness.

There, if history is any indication, anything is possible once they reach the Big Dance, especially with a deep backcourt like UF's.

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