The Tip-Off
* Florida enters the postseason with its highest-scoring team in program history, led by the dynamic backcourt of Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton Jr., who lead a starting five all brought from the portal by Todd Golden and have the Gators poised for an NCAA Tournament bid in Golden’s second season at the helm.
* First-team All-SEC honoree Zyon Pullin is on pace to post the SEC’s best single-season assist-to-turnover ratio (4.38) of the 2000s. Pullin’s scoring average and assist/turnover ratio combination of 15.7 ppg and 4.38 A/TO has only been surpassed once nationally since the 1996-97 season (Monte Morris, Iowa St., 2016-17, 16.4, 5.17).
* Leading scorer and second-team All-SEC guard Walter Clayton Jr. has a top-25 scoring season in Florida history while knocking down at least three 3-pointers in 12 of UF’s 18 SEC games.
* In the frontcourt, Florida has gotten 10 double-doubles from AP second-team All-SEC Tyrese Samuel and a 17.7% offensive rebounding percentage from Micah Handlogten. SEC All-Freshman Alex Condon has recorded 6.5 rebounds per game and 38 blocked shots, both of which lead all SEC freshmen.
* Florida’s backcourt duo of Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton Jr. give the Gators their first season with multiple All-SEC guards since 2012-13, when Kenny Boynton, Mike Rosario and Scottie Wilbekin helped the Gators to an SEC title.
* Walter Clayton Jr.’s 526 points put him five shy of the single-season record by a transfer in Florida history, trailing only Dorian Finney-Smith (530 in 2015-16) and Jalen Hudson (528 in 2017-18). Clayton’s performance also ranks in the top-25 single-season scoring outputs overall in UF history.
2023-24 Highlights
* Florida lit the scoreboard for 105 points in the win vs. 16th-ranked Alabama, the Gators’ most all-time in regulation vs. a ranked opponent. Will Richard led the attack with 23 points and Walter Clayton Jr. added 22, while Zyon Pullin and Tyrese Samuel scored 19 points each.
* Tyrese Samuel’s career-high 28 points led the Gators in the win vs. Missouri. Samuel (10 rebounds) and Micah Handlogten (12 points/12 rebounds) both posted double-doubles, while Zyon Pullin added 21 points.
* Walter Clayton Jr. posted a four-game run of 20-point outings from Feb. 10-21, matching Colin Castleton, Tre Mann and Nick Calathes for the longest such streak by a Gator since Dwayne Schintzius’ five straight in 1989.
* Florida’s win vs. #12 Auburn marked the Gators’ 15th in a row at home vs. the Tigers. Riley Kugel’s 22 points led the Gators, along with 20 points from Walter Clayton Jr. and 19 by Zyon Pullin, while the Gators matched a season low with just seven turnovers.
* The Gators notched a big resume win in their victory at 10th-ranked Kentucky, led by a trio of 20-point scorers in Walter Clayton Jr. (23), Tyrese Samuel (22) and Zyon Pullin (21). Clayton’s 3-pointer with 3.0 seconds left in regulation forced overtime and another with 1:42 left in overtime put the Gators ahead for good.
* Micah Handlogten posted 23 points and 17 rebounds in the home win vs. Georgia, while Zyon Pullin scored seven of his 20 points in the overtime period. The Gators completed the sweep in Athens for a 10th straight win vs. Georgia behind 21 points from Walter Clayton Jr. and 17 by Thomas Haugh.
* The Gators outlasted LSU at home, led by Walter Clayton Jr.’s 21 points, along with 15 points from Tyrese Samuel and 14 by Zyon Pullin. Florida overcame LSU’s 11-for-21 3-point game by scoring 20 points off 19 offensive rebounds while committing just eight turnovers.
* Will Richard led the Gators with 23 points and nine rebounds in the win vs. Mississippi State as Florida committed a season-low seven turnovers. Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton Jr. each added 15 points.
* Zyon Pullin scored 22 and Tyrese Samuel posted 21 points and 11 rebounds in the Gators’ double overtime victory vs. Michigan in Charlotte. Pullin’s 3-pointer with 8.9 seconds remaining in the first overtime forced the second extra session, where an 11-0 UF run put the game away.
* The Gators topped Pitt in the first game of the NIT Season Tip-Off behind 28 points from Walter Clayton Jr. on 6-for-8 shooting from 3-point range, a 20-point, 10-rebound performance from Tyrese Samuel and a 24-to-8 assist-to-turnover showing as a team.
