Tag: Zyon Pullin

Three top Gators rehash overtime win over Georgia Bulldogs

Here’s what three of Florida’s top scorers had to say about the overtime win over Georgia.

It was not supposed to be as close as it was, but the Georgia Bulldogs stormed back from a 21-point deficient with 10 minutes remaining but still fell short inside the O’Connell Center on Saturday, 102-98, to the Florida Gators.

The Orange and Blue had five players finishing with double-digit points after 45 minutes of play, led by a monster performance by [autotag]Micah Handlogten[/autotag], who dropped 23 points while grabbing 17 boards in 35 minutes of play. [autotag]Zyon Pullin[/autotag] finished with 20, while [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] and Walter Clayton Jr. both scored 18 points; Alex Condon added 10 of his own.

After the game, Richard, Handlogten and Pullin spoke with the media about Florida’s too-close-for-comfort win over Georgia. Take a look below for what they had to offer.

Trio of Gators talk about home win over Mississippi State Bulldogs

The Gators returned home after a short road swing in which they split the two games to defend the O’Connell Center court against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Wednesday night. Florida came away with a 79-70 victory that improved the Orange and …

The Gators returned home after a short road swing in which they split the two games to defend the O’Connell Center court against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Wednesday night. Florida came away with a 79-70 victory that improved the Orange and Blue to 13-6 overall and 3-3 in Southeastern Conference competition.

It was a game that Todd Golden’s team controlled for a majority of the game, but a late letdown allowed the opponent to make things interesting in the final minutes. Nonetheless, the Gators emerged victorious thanks in large part to guard [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag]’s career night, along with contributions from fellow guard [autotag]Zyon Pullin[/autotag] and forward/center [autotag]Tyrese Samuels[/autotag].

The three spoke with the media after the win, detailing their thoughts on Florida’s third SEC win. Take a look below at what they had to offer.

Gators head coach, players talk to media after Tennessee loss

Here’s what three members of the Orange and Blue had to offer after Tuesday’s loss to Tennessee.

Wintery weather swept through the Eastern United States on Tuesday, causing the matchup between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville to be moved back two hours.

With the plummeting temperatures also came a frustrating loss for the Orange and Blue, which fell by a final score of 85-66 inside Thompson-Boling Arena. It was a game in which the Gators were overmatched both on paper and on the court, resulting in a 1-3 record so far in Southeastern Conference competition and an 11-6 record overall.

Following the defeat, head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] along with guards [autotag]Walter Clayton Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Zyon Pullin[/autotag] spoke with the press. Take a look below at what they had to offer.

Breaking down Kentucky Wildcats loss with Zyon Pullin, Walter Clayton

Here’s what Saturday’s two game-high scorers had to say about the tough home loss.

The Southeastern Conference schedule-opening matchup between the Florida Gators and Kentucky Wildcats inside the O’Connell Center was an exciting game to watch, but unfortunately for the Gator Nation, the home team came up short in an 87-85 defeat.

The Orange and Blue led for a lion’s share of the game but was not able to come through in the clutch, going ice cold from both the free-throw line as well as beyond the arc. It was not for lack of effort on the part of two members of Todd Golden’s gang.

Guards [autotag]Zyon Pullin[/autotag] and [autotag]Walter Clayton[/autotag] both dropped a game-high 23 points for the losing cause while combining for 9 of 11 from the charity stripe — a stark contrast to their teammates. Playing 34 minutes apiece as well, the dynamic duo simply was not enough to overcome a top-10 team.

After the game, the two talked to the media and answered some of the pressing questions asked by members of the scrum. Take a look below at what they had to offer.

Highlights from Zyon Pullin’s post-game media scrum

Check out Florida Gators guard Zyon Pullin’s post-game press conference highlights

The Florida Gators steam rolled through the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Saturday afternoon, 97-72, to put a bow on the month of the December, extending its win streak to six games before the thick of the schedule arrives with a meeting against Kentucky on Jan. 6.

Florida was led by guards Will Richard and [autotag]Zyon Pullin[/autotag], who combined for 38 points, bolstering the 25-point home win for the Gators and showing that the Gators can be dangerous on the offensive of the ball no matter who’s carrying the rock.

Pullin scored the second-most points (16) for Florida, trailing behind Richard’s 22-point performance while managing to dish the ball for six assists along with two rebounds.

Pullin addressed the media following the huge win over Quinnipiac and is feeling good going into 2024.

Florida basketball welcomes back point guard from suspension

UC Riverside transfer and Florida Gators point guard is eligible to play after three-game suspension.

The Florida Gators are lacing up and preparing for a Friday night matchup against in-state nemesis, the Florida State Seminoles. Not only are the Gators welcoming FSU to the O’Dome, but the team is also looking forward to the return of suspended point guard [autotag]Zyon Pullin[/autotag].

The graduate student participated in a 2023 NBA draft showcase which is meant for players who have no eligibility left.

Florida head coach Todd Golden said Pullin’s return is monumental for the basketball program and thinks he’ll make an immediate impact.

“Having a guy who can be a floor general out there,” Golden said, “a guy that’s a really good on-ball defender, a guy that’s won 20 games in all four years in college, a guy that just really understands winning, will be a welcomed addition for us.”

Pullin isn’t listed as an expected starter for the Friday night showdown against the Seminoles, as junior Will Richard and Riley Kugel have been proving to be more than capable of holding down the position.

The UC Riverside transfer averaged 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game last season and hopes to replicate the numbers in order to help the Gators build a well-balanced squad before March.

The Gators will challenge the Seminoles inside Exactech Arena at 7 p.m. ET with the game broadcasting on the SEC Network.

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Florida Men’s Basketball Previews: Guards

The college basketball season is almost ready to tipoff, so let’s take a look at all of the guards on Florida’s 2023-24 roster.

The 2023-24 men’s college basketball season starts on Monday, Nov. 6, for Florida against Loyola Maryland, and the roster looks a bit different than it did in Year 1 under Todd Golden.

The program lost several players to the pros and transfer portal, but Golden and his staff worked hard to secure the return of at least one player and brought in some talented replacements.

Riley Kugel and Will Richard are the two familiar names on the roster, but it’s the players behind them that will decide close games for the Gators this year.

Here’s a look at every guard on the 2023-24 Florida men’s basketball roster.

Gators senior PG suspended, will miss first three games of the season

Senior transfer point-guard is getting punished for participating in NBA evaluation tournament, will miss first three games

The Florida Gators basketball is already overcoming the challenge of depending on a young roster, now a senior transfer will miss the first three games of the 2023-24 season.

Former Arizona Wildcats point guard [autotag]Zyon Pullin[/autotag] is being punished by the NCAA and will face suspension for participating in a non-sanctioned NBA evaluation tournament. The senior faced a similar punishment last season.

Head coach Todd Golden expected the suspension.

“We assumed he was going to miss some games,” Golden said.

Although, the second-year head coach is keeping a glass half full, and wants to use this situation as a way to give younger players on the roster some time on the court.

“We will miss him in those games,” Golden said. “But this gives others an opportunity to step up.”

Pullin was expected to be a useful tool in the Florida offense after a successful season at California-Riverside. The transfer was named first-team in the All-Big West, averaging 18.3 points, 4.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds while starting all 29 contests.

Iona transfer Walter Clayton Jr. is expected to be the starting point guard in Pullin’s absence.

The Florida Gators tip off their season at home on Nov. 6 against the Loyola Greyhounds, following the Orange and Blue scrimmage game on Nov. 2.

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Florida basketball lands elite transfer PG Zyon Pullin

Florida just bolstered its backcourt for the 2023-24 season with the commitment of former UC Riverside point guard Zyon Pullin.

Former UC Riverside point guard Zyon Pullin is headed to Gainesville.

After narrowing things down to just Florida and LSU on Monday, according to ESPN college basketball insider Jeff Borzello, Pullin locked things in with Todd Golden and Co. midweek. He was in town over the weekend for an official visit with Florida, which clearly helped influence the decision.

Landing Pullin is a massive win for Golden, who is heading into his second year at the helm of the men’s basketball program. A 16-17 finish to the 2022-23 campaign didn’t provide an ideal start to Florida’s so-called Golden Era, but the team looks completely different after several transfer portal moves.

Pullin is the second guard Florida has added through the transfer portal.  Former Iona guard Walter Clayton Jr. is the other, but the staff would like him to play at shooting guard. Adding Pullin frees up the two-spot for Clayton, who might end up playing minutes behind Riley Kugel and Will Richard.

A First Team All-Big West selection in 2022-23, Pullin averaged 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

Florida has two remaining scholarship spots to fill now that Pullin is on board. The Gators missed on Dedan Thomas, who committed to UNLV over Florida in May, but Golden could look to add one more high school player. Bringing in some international talent isn’t out of the question, either.

Whatever changes are made moving forward should be minor, though.

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LSU misses on sweepstakes for big-time transfer Zyon Pullin

Pullin committed to Florida after a visit to Gainesville over the weekend.

LSU was in the mix for one of the best available transfer portal players in the country, former UC Riverside guard [autotag]Zyon Pullin[/autotag]. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported Tuesday that Pullin was down to two schools: LSU and Florida.

Ultimately, the Gators won out. Pullin opted to head to Gainesville, informing Borzello of his commitment.

It’s not exactly a surprise. Florida had Pullin on campus for an official visit this weekend. It seems LSU will not get the 6-foot-4 fifth-year player on campus.

A three-year starter at UC Riverside, Pullin earned first-team All-Big West honors in 2022-23 while averaging 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

LSU still has a very solid transfer class, headlined by Tulane guard Jalen Cook — who returns after beginning his career with the Tigers — as well as Santa Clara guard [autotag]Carlos Stewart[/autotag], Nevada center [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag], Vanderbilt forward [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] and former Kentucky forward and five-star recruit [autotag]Daimion Collins[/autotag].

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