Zyon Pullin ‘super excited’ to make Florida Gators debut vs. FSU

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s backcourt will feature another weapon on Friday night. Graduate transfer point guard Zyon Pullin will make his season debut for the Gators against Florida State at 7 p.m.

Pullin had to miss the first three games of the 2023-24 season for participating in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament as part of his NBA Draft evaluation process in the spring. 

Pullin ultimately decided to return to college and transferred to Florida from UC Riverside, where he averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds last season.

Pullin spoke to the media on Friday about his return to the court, early impressions of his new team, how he fits into the lineup, the FSU matchup and more. Here’s everything he had to say:

Zyon Pullin Q&A

On making his season debut:

Pullin: “Super excited. Sitting these past three games, you know, now I get to put that jersey on. So, I’m looking forward to it.”

On what he brings to the team: 

Pullin: “Just experience. I’ve played a lot of basketball, seen a lot of different things. And I think ultimately, just another leader on the court is what I bring to the team.”

On what he showed teammates with buzzer beater vs Miami:

Pullin: “That they can trust me to make plays like that. Not a bad first game to have. So it was pretty fun, especially fun getting that win.” 

On whether he has missed 3 games before:

Pullin: “I did last year. I missed five or six, and that was definitely tough too with the injury. So I just changed my perspective and just keep finding ways to help the team not being on the floor.”

On missing the Virginia loss:

Pullin: “It’s definitely tough to lose that game. I’m still super confident in the guys we had on the floor. We had a lot of correctable stuff that we can fix. Definitely wish I was a part of that game. Those are the games you get up for and love to compete in. So, it was definitely tough not playing that game.”

On how much the team can improve:

Pullin: “We got a lot to improve on. A lot of good stuff showed up too. I think that’s the fun part about this team. We got a lot of areas that we can get better at. We still got a lot of basketball, still learning how to play with each other, especially against different talent. So, I think we’ll figure it out.”

On what has impressed him about the team:

Pullin: “We got a lot of guys that can do a lot of things. I think we’re a very versatile team. I think we got 10 guys who can play. That’s something that has shown up. Condo having a big game or Zel. We got a bunch of guys, it goes down the list. Walt, Will, and I think that’s what kind of jumps out.”

On transferred to Florida from UC Riverside:

Pullin: “I definitely didn’t think I was going to be at Florida. I think that’s a school you dream to play at. I didn’t see myself being at Florida, but just going through the process, I thought it was best for me to look at college and it made it a lot easier with Coach Golden and already having a previous relationship with him. It kind of made it an easy transition.”

On if he went to Todd Golden’s camp at San Francisco:

Pullin: “No, I went to open gym one time at USF while he was there, and we kind of built a relationship from there”

On what he brings as a natural point guard:

Pullin: “Yeah, I think just a playmaking guard who can get others involved. That’s what I like to do: make other players better, and I think that’s something I like to think I do a little well at. So that’s ultimately what I’m trying to bring to the team: just make everyone around me better, make their jobs easier. I think that’s something I can do.”

On opponents facing multiple UF ball handlers:

Pullin: “I think it’s super tough. You know, you got Kugel, you got to put a lot of attention on him. And then Walt, the way he pushes the pace. And a guy like me. I think we all kind of you fit with each other, just trying to get out, play fast is kind of our philosophy here. It’s hard when it’s not just one person bringing the ball up. Got to sort it out a lot quicker and stuff like that.”

On winning the 3-point contest:

Pullin: “Yeah, I think something I just worked a lot on this summer, just keep repping it out. It’s cool to be in that environment and win it. But just a lot of work went into that and stuff like that.”

On if he expected to win the contest:

Pullin: “Yeah, for sure. Just going out and competing with the guys and joking around beforehand, but I’m definitely confident in the work I put in.” 

On his biggest competition from downtown:

Pullin: “Will’s a good shooter. Julian’s a very good shooter. We got a lot of guys that can shoot and do different things.” 

On him vs. Tauren Green from 3-point range:

Pullin: “Tauren will tell you I’m winning that.”

On the professional opportunities he had:

Pullin: “Yeah, I think it was just going through the process and getting feedback from a bunch of different teams. And, ultimately, I didn’t have the biggest spotlight over at Riverside, so just playing on that stage that Florida could offer was something that kind of jumped out to me and thought would be in my best interest.”

On the biggest game he’s played in:

Pullin: “Last year we played Creighton. It was a close first half and then after that. But we played a few Pac-12 schools. Arizona State was another good one. Washington. Oregon. We played a bunch of good teams.”

On his appreciation for Florida-Florida State:

Pullin: “Yeah, it’s a big, big rivalry. Not a bad first game to come back to. I think the crowd energy will be great. I know a lot of guys on the team are juiced about that game, so we’re looking forward to it.”

On facing Creighton last year with Ryan Nembhard:

Pullin: “It was great. Another super-talented point guard. Had a match up with him. Trey Alexander. Made it a hard night, but you welcome games like that.” 

On what he learned from that experience:

Pullin: “You see what they do and you look at what you do and just watch film and see what bits and pieces you can take from that game and try to get better.” 

On the road games coming up after FSU:

Pullin: “Just keep taking it day by day. Don’t think too far ahead and take each game at a time. I think we just need to keep locking in, keep focusing and keep learning and we’ll have a good three-week stretch.”

On coming off the bench vs. starting:

Pullin: “I’ll be comfortable with whatever the coaches as of me. I told them I came here to win, to get to the tournament and make a run in March. Whatever the coaches ask of me, I’m willing to do, whether that’s start, come off the bench, whatever. I’m just looking forward to the opportunity.”

On other players be willing to take bench role:

Pullin: “I think we’ve got a bunch of unselfish guys; people who could do a lot on the floor, whether that’s another scorer or whatnot. We have a lot of guys who are selfless guys. The biggest thing with this team is we just want to win. That’s what we talk about. We’ll do whatever it takes.”

On Alex Condon’s shooting:

Pullin: “It’s not a surprise to me, with the work he puts in. He’s always in the gym. You see games like that, it’s good for him to see the work paying off. That’s what you get excited about. And he’s super young to the game, still learning. So it’s great to see how big of a piece he’ll be for the team this year.”

On teams facing multiple scorers for UF:

Pullin: “It’s tough. Who you going to focus on? You’re talking about guys who have had pretty good college careers. It’s five guys you have to worry about, instead of one or two guys, which I think makes us hard to guard.”

On what he’s looking forward to most:

Pullin: “I think just having a lot of fun and doing a lot of winning. That’s the biggest thing. I think this group can do a lot of winning. If we can lock in on the small things that will make us a good team.”