NCAA Basketball: Analyzing top 5 teams for UC Riverside transfer Zyon Pullin

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Pullin played his NCAA Basketball in the state of California and is originally from Pleasant Hill. And among the five teams in the mix, the lone program west of the Mississippi River is Gonzaga. And in the past decade, it’s hard to argue that there’s a better program from the west coast than the Bulldogs, coming off eight straight Sweet 16 appearances and over 20 straight trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Gonzaga made it to the Elite 8 last season, before getting destroyed at UConn. They were led by All-American big man Drew Timme, whose 20+ scoring performances allowed them to advance. His play made up for a lackluster backcourt, which struggled against both UCLA and the Huskies.

Things have changed on the roster, as Rasir Bolton ran out of eligibility, while WCC 6th Man of the Year guard Malachi Smith elected to stay in the NBA Draft. The team did bring in Creighton transfer Ryan Nembhard to pair with Nolan Hickman in the backcourt but the team could always use another guard.

Pullin could either start instead of Hickman or be the team’s new 6th man, getting 20-25 off the bench and having a 3-guard rotation between them. While not starting isn’t ideal for a 5th year senior, he’s all but guaranteed to make his first NCAA Tournament appearance with this option and have a chance to make a deep run, while still being as close to home as possible.