Riley Kugel
Kugel with Florida in 2023
No. 2 – Florida Gators
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
LeagueSoutheastern Conference
Personal information
Born (2003-11-30) November 30, 2003 (age 20)
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight207 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeFlorida (2022–present)
Career highlights and awards
  • SEC All-Freshman team (2023)

Riley Estelle Kugel (born November 30, 2003) is an American college basketball player for the Florida Gators of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Early life and high school career

Kugel grew up in Orlando, Florida and initially attended Central Florida Christian Academy. He transferred to Dr. Phillips High School after his sophomore year.[1] Kugel averaged 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game as a senior.[2]

Recruiting

Kugel was rated as a four-star recruit. He initially committed and signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play for Mississippi State.[3] Kugel was later released from his NLI upon his request after Mississippi State fired head coach Ben Howland.[4] He ultimately committed to play for Florida.[5]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Riley Kugel
PG / SG 		Orlando, FL Dr. Phillips (FL) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) May 23, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 84
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 145  247Sports: 56  ESPN: 67
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Florida 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  • "2022 Florida Gators Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  • "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 25, 2023.

College career

Kugel became a starter for the Florida Gators midway through his freshman season.[6] He finished the season averaging 9.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game and was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman team.[7] During conference play, he averaged 12.6 points, the most by a Florida freshman since Bradley Beal's 14.4 per game in the 2011-12 season.[7] He considered entering the 2023 NBA draft, but ultimately decided to Florida for his sophomore season.[8] Before the start of the 2023-2024 season, he was named to coaches preseason All-SEC first team.[9]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022–23 Florida 32 17 23.0 .456 .376 .663 2.8 1.0 .8 .2 9.9

References

  1. ^ "Irwin Hudson back as Trinity Prep coach; Riley Kugel transfers to DP". Orlando Sentinel. May 20, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  2. ^ Goodall, Zach (May 23, 2022). "Gators Make Top 3 for Guard Riley Kugel; Set to Commit Monday". SI.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  3. ^ Jones, Paul (September 26, 2021). "247Sports three-star Riley Kugel breaks down Mississippi State decision". 247Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  4. ^ "Riley Kugel given release by Mississippi State basketball, may return". The Clarion-Ledger. March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  5. ^ "Dr. Phillips' Riley Kugel commits to Todd Golden's Gators". The Mercury News. May 23, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  6. ^ "Dr. Phillips' Riley Kugel returns to Gators for second year". Orlando Sentinel. April 4, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Rudner, Jacob (March 6, 2023). "Riley Kugel named to SEC All-Freshman team". 247Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  8. ^ Carroll, Brandon (April 5, 2023). "Riley Kugel's Timely Return to Florida is a Multifaceted Victory for Gators". SI.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  9. ^ "Florida basketball guard Riley Kugel named to coaches preseason All-SEC first team". Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 2024-01-31.

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