Graduate transfer Zyon Pullin was recently named First Team All-SEC for his efforts in Orange and Blue this season. The California native averaged 15.7 points per game, 5.0 assists, and 3.8 rebounds, aiding Florida to a 21-win regular season, the team’s most wins heading into the postseason since 2016-17.
“I’d be lying to say we expected him to be a top-three or-four point guard in America,” Head Coach Todd Golden said on if he was surprised at Pullin’s contributions this season.
“I’m looking around and I’m not sure there’s many better,” Golden added. “Did we think he could do that? Yeah. But the consistency piece is where I feel like we’ve been the most impressed. Just as scoring, his ability to live in the paint and then assist-turnover, just the way he controls the game, controls the floor has been elite.”
Pullin isn’t just one of the best point guards in America, he is the best, according to KenPom’s offensive rating. Pullin has the highest offensive rating among point guards in college basketball with at least 20% of possessions used and ranks 3rd overall in the country, behind Auburn’s Jaylin Williams and UConn’s Donovan Clingan.
“Yeah, he’s been one of the most consistent players in America,” Golden said on Pullin. “I think he’s obviously a great young man, but a very consistent worker in his approach. For you guys that are around the team a lot, he’s never too high, never too low, steady, focused on the floor, very rarely displays any body language outside of his pretty standard approach. He’s just gotten better and better, too. He’s been more consistent, more consistent numbers, assist-to- turnover has been great. We’ll miss him a lot next year, as everybody knows. He’s done a great job in this rip for the Gators.”
As Florida’s point guard, Pullin has posted a 4.38 assist-to-turnover ratio that ranks second in the nation and is on pace to set UF’s program record. Pullin also has six 20-point games and began the season with 23 straight double-figure scoring games, matching UF’s third-longest streak of the 2000s. He averaged 16.6 points per game in SEC action while dishing 5.0 assists per game and playing a team-high 36.3 minutes per game. Pullin’s three-point percentage of 44.4 ranks 43rd in the country.
“I think he’s a great example of what makes a game so great, you don’t need to be the best athlete out there every day to produce. He has a great feel, a great understanding of space, physicality, of how to use his body to get open. He’s a basketball player. He’s just a basketball player,” Golden said on Pullin’s impact.
Even with Pullin’s dominant season and First Team-All SEC selection, he is still being overlooked around the country. Pullin wasn’t named to either first or second team AP All-SEC team, as announced earlier this week.
“I don’t know who votes, so I’m not sure. I think that was a little bit of an oversight,” Golden said on Pullin being left off the AP All-SEC Teams. “I think it’s pretty clear to everybody who has followed the league that he’s one of the five best players in the league this year. The good thing, ZP is really mature and I don’t think he would care one bit about it. I don’t think it’s going to bother him or upset him. I think he knows what he’s capable of and our program appreciates what he’s brought to the table. He was recognized by the league, which I think is the most important thing for us.”
The Florida Gators and Zyon Pullin are currently in Nashville, Tennessee preparing for their first game of the SEC Tournament on Thursday night. The Gators will face off against the winner of Georgia vs Missouri.