The key to Florida basketball's Zyon Pullin becoming a proven point guard

Transfer Zyon Pullin has settled into the role of Florida basketball starting point guard, adapting quickly to the SEC grind.

Pullin hasn't turned the ball over in each of his last two games and is taking care of the basketball at an elite level. He leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio, with 73 assists to 17 turnovers.

The Florida Gators (13-6, 3-3 SEC) will need Pullin's continued steady play at the point when they host Georgia on Saturday (noon, ESPN2).

“It's incredibly important," Florida basketball coach Todd Golden said. "He's done a fantastic job, but really our whole perimeter has done a great job taking care of the ball - our whole team. It's been a big strength of ours over the last couple of weeks."

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Pullin, a fifth-year senior from UC-Riverside, said his mindset is to learn from the mistakes he makes in practice and to take a more cautious approach into games.

"Really just try to value the ball," Pullin said. "Try to make the right play, limit the riskiness a little bit, but still try to get others involved and take the plays they do give us.”

UF basketball pg Zyon Pullin adjusting to SEC play

At 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds, Pullin has been strong enough with the basketball to ward off athletic SEC defensive players. His assist-to-turnover ratio at UC-Riverside last season was 122-71.

Though the first six SEC games, Pullin's assist-to-turnover ratio is 23 to 4.

"Definitely more athleticism, the kind of athletes you know you hear about all the time in the SEC, but you really don’t know too much until you actually get here," Pullin said. "That was one thing, getting adjusted to that, but just try to take my time, let the game kind of come to me, keep the team relaxed. Just embracing it, knowing there are going to be aggressive, physical teams and take what they give us.”

In addition to taking care of the ball, Pullin (14.6 ppg) has brought a scoring threat to the point guard position, having scored in double figures in all 16 games he's played in all season.

Georgia, under former UF coach Mike White, will bring another challenge to Pullin and the rest of UF's backcourt. The Bulldogs are forcing 12.2 turnovers per game while averaging 6.5 steals per game.

"If you can take care of the ball in this league, you're gonna give yourself a chance," Golden said. "A lot of teams that pride themselves in turning you over and that's how they generate offense. For us, with seven turnovers last game (vs. Mississippi State), I think, 10 against Missouri, it’s trend I'd really appreciate seeing continue over the next couple of weeks.”