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Jersey Number 2
Riley Kugel
- Height:
- 6-5
- Weight:
- 210
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Orlando, Fla.
- High School/Previous School:
- Dr. Phillips HS/Florida
HONORS & AWARDS
2023-24 Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List โข Florida
2023-24 All-SEC Preseason First Team โข Coaches โข Florida
2023-24 All-SEC Preseason Second Team โข Media โข Florida
2022-23 All-SEC Freshman Team โข Florida
2022-23 SEC Freshman of the Week โข March 6. 2023 โข Florida
ESPN No. 67 National Recruit โข Class of 2022
ย
CAREER
Kugel played in 98 games and made 42 starts between his time at Florida (2022-23, 2023-24) and Mississippi State (2024-25) โฆ Earned 2022-23 All-SEC Freshman Team honors and was a 2023-24 All-SEC Preseason Team selection for the Gators under Todd Golden โฆ Posted 926 points, 305 rebounds, 132 assists and 98 steals โฆ Sank 42.7 percent from the floor (334-of-783), 33.9 percent on three-pointers (109-of-322) and 70.0 percent at the free throw line (149-of-213) โฆ Turned in double figures on 46 occasions sparked by 11 performances of 20+ points โฆ Hit multiple threeโs in 35 outings, handed out multiple assists in 34 games, grabbed 5+ rebounds 22 times and notched 21 efforts with multiple steals โฆ Transferred to UCF following the 2024-25 season.
ย
2024-25 โข JUNIOR
Kugel secured 9.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game โฆ Started 14 times over his 33 appearances headed by nine of Stateโs last 10 games (Feb. 15-March 21) โฆ Hit on 43.3 percent of his field goal attempts (110-of-254), 33.3 percent from three-point territory (40-of-120) and 75.4 percent at the foul line (46-of-61) โฆ Collected double figures in 17 games which was tied for third on the team with Claudell Harris Jr. and RJ Melendez โฆ The Bulldogs were 11-6 in those outings โฆ Teamed with KeShawn Murphy to provide 31 outings of 10+ points off the bench which was third among SEC duos in 2024-25.
ย
BEST GAMES โข STATE โข 2024-25
Kugelโs top performances in non-conference action were a pair of 22-point efforts against Butler (Nov. 29) and versus Bethune-Cookman (Dec. 30) โฆ Ripped off 17 of his 22 points in the second half of the Butler game โฆ Came away with 13 points and six rebounds at SMU (Nov. 22) โฆ Pumped home 19 points during road win over No. 21 Memphis (Dec. 21) โฆ Dialed up SEC seasonโs best of 21 points sparked by go-ahead trey in closing minutes of overtime against No. 21 Ole Miss (Jan. 18) โฆ Rattled in 15 points at South Carolina (Jan. 25) โฆ Chipped in 11 points and four steals in road triumph over No. 19 Ole Miss (Feb. 15) โฆ Provided double figures in four of his last six outings (March 1-21) โฆ Stuffed the stats sheet with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals versus Texas (March 4) โฆ Notched 11 points sparked by a trio of three-pointers against Baylor (March 21) in the NCAA Tournament.
ย
BEFORE STATE โข FLORIDA
2023-24: Kugel turned in 9.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game over his 33 appearances โฆ Sank 39.4 percent from the field (110-of-279) coupled with a 31.2 percent on three-point attempts (34-of-109) and 69.6 percent at the charity stripe (48-of-69) โฆ Started the teamโs first 11 games (Nov. 6-Dec. 19) where he dialed up three efforts of 20+ points.
ย
2022-23: Kugel came away with 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.8 steals per game over his 32 appearances โฆ Drained 45.6 percent from the floor (114-of-250), 37.6 percent of his threeโs (35-of-93) and 66.3 percent at the free throw line (55-of-83) โฆ Inserted into starting lineup during the teamโs last 14 games (Jan. 25-March 15) sparked by 10 straight outings of double figures to finish season.
ย
BEST GAMES โข FLORIDA
2023-24: Kugel racked up 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting and a season-high six steals against Loyola Maryland (Nov. 6) in season opener โฆ The fourth UF player to accomplish that stat line during the 2000s โฆ Registered a seasonโs best of 25 points and nine rebounds versus No. 13 Baylor (Nov. 24) during NIT Tipoff Championship Game โฆ Amassed 24 points at Wake Forest (Nov. 29) in ACC/SEC Challenge where he claimed SportsCenterโs top play with his breakaway slam dunk โฆ Began SEC action with a 15-point effort against No. 6 Kentucky (Jan. 6) โฆ Added 20 points and five rebounds versus Arkansas (Jan. 13) โฆ Poured in a SEC seasonโs best 22 points during win over No. 12 Auburn (Feb. 10) โฆ The 22 points were the most by a UF player versus a ranked opponent off the bench since KeVaughn Allen scored 24 points against No. 12 Auburn on Feb. 24, 2018 โฆ Provided 11 points and three steals versus Colorado (March 22) in NCAA Tournament.ย
ย
2022-23: Kugelโs top three non-conference scoring performances: 13 points versus eventual national champion and No. 5 Connecticut (Dec. 7), 12 points against Xavier (Nov. 24) and 10 points versus Oregon State (Nov. 25) โฆ Upped his scoring mark to 12.6 points per contest during SEC action, the highest for a UF freshmen since Bradley Bealโs 14.4 per game mark in 2011-12 โฆ Tallied 13 points and five rebounds against No. 20 Missouri (Jan. 14) โฆ Averaged 17.3 points on 49.6 from the field (62-of-127), 39.6 on three-point attempts (19-of-48) and 66.7 percent at the foul line (28-of-42) over 10-game run to finish season โฆ Started streak with 15 points at No. 3 Alabama (Feb. 8) โฆ Pumped home a seasonโs best 24 points aided by four treys against Kentucky (Feb. 22) followed by 20 points at Vanderbilt (Feb. 25) โฆ The last UF freshman to secure back-to-back games of 20+ points was Kenny Boynton in 2009-10 โฆ Capped regular season with 21 points versus LSU (March 4) โฆ Tallied 13 points against UCF (March 15) in NIT Round of 32.ย ย ย ย
ย
HIGH SCHOOL
Kugel was coached by Ben Witherspoon at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida โฆ A four-star prospect who checked in No. 67 nationally in ESPNโs Class of 2022 rankings and originally committed to Mississippi State in November 2021 โฆ Notched 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a senior โฆ Captured FABC All-State Second-Team honors in 2022 while his team secured a Class 7A runner-up finish โฆ Posted 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a junior โฆ Dr. Phillips won the schoolโs first Class 7A State Championship in 2021 โฆ Played AAU for Southeast Elite coached by Anthony Ricks โฆ Also played baseball, football and track growing up.
ย
PERSONAL
Born on November 30, 2003 โฆ Majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies.
2023-24 Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List โข Florida
2023-24 All-SEC Preseason First Team โข Coaches โข Florida
2023-24 All-SEC Preseason Second Team โข Media โข Florida
2022-23 All-SEC Freshman Team โข Florida
2022-23 SEC Freshman of the Week โข March 6. 2023 โข Florida
ESPN No. 67 National Recruit โข Class of 2022
ย
CAREER
Kugel played in 98 games and made 42 starts between his time at Florida (2022-23, 2023-24) and Mississippi State (2024-25) โฆ Earned 2022-23 All-SEC Freshman Team honors and was a 2023-24 All-SEC Preseason Team selection for the Gators under Todd Golden โฆ Posted 926 points, 305 rebounds, 132 assists and 98 steals โฆ Sank 42.7 percent from the floor (334-of-783), 33.9 percent on three-pointers (109-of-322) and 70.0 percent at the free throw line (149-of-213) โฆ Turned in double figures on 46 occasions sparked by 11 performances of 20+ points โฆ Hit multiple threeโs in 35 outings, handed out multiple assists in 34 games, grabbed 5+ rebounds 22 times and notched 21 efforts with multiple steals โฆ Transferred to UCF following the 2024-25 season.
ย
2024-25 โข JUNIOR
Kugel secured 9.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game โฆ Started 14 times over his 33 appearances headed by nine of Stateโs last 10 games (Feb. 15-March 21) โฆ Hit on 43.3 percent of his field goal attempts (110-of-254), 33.3 percent from three-point territory (40-of-120) and 75.4 percent at the foul line (46-of-61) โฆ Collected double figures in 17 games which was tied for third on the team with Claudell Harris Jr. and RJ Melendez โฆ The Bulldogs were 11-6 in those outings โฆ Teamed with KeShawn Murphy to provide 31 outings of 10+ points off the bench which was third among SEC duos in 2024-25.
ย
BEST GAMES โข STATE โข 2024-25
Kugelโs top performances in non-conference action were a pair of 22-point efforts against Butler (Nov. 29) and versus Bethune-Cookman (Dec. 30) โฆ Ripped off 17 of his 22 points in the second half of the Butler game โฆ Came away with 13 points and six rebounds at SMU (Nov. 22) โฆ Pumped home 19 points during road win over No. 21 Memphis (Dec. 21) โฆ Dialed up SEC seasonโs best of 21 points sparked by go-ahead trey in closing minutes of overtime against No. 21 Ole Miss (Jan. 18) โฆ Rattled in 15 points at South Carolina (Jan. 25) โฆ Chipped in 11 points and four steals in road triumph over No. 19 Ole Miss (Feb. 15) โฆ Provided double figures in four of his last six outings (March 1-21) โฆ Stuffed the stats sheet with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals versus Texas (March 4) โฆ Notched 11 points sparked by a trio of three-pointers against Baylor (March 21) in the NCAA Tournament.
ย
BEFORE STATE โข FLORIDA
2023-24: Kugel turned in 9.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game over his 33 appearances โฆ Sank 39.4 percent from the field (110-of-279) coupled with a 31.2 percent on three-point attempts (34-of-109) and 69.6 percent at the charity stripe (48-of-69) โฆ Started the teamโs first 11 games (Nov. 6-Dec. 19) where he dialed up three efforts of 20+ points.
ย
2022-23: Kugel came away with 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.8 steals per game over his 32 appearances โฆ Drained 45.6 percent from the floor (114-of-250), 37.6 percent of his threeโs (35-of-93) and 66.3 percent at the free throw line (55-of-83) โฆ Inserted into starting lineup during the teamโs last 14 games (Jan. 25-March 15) sparked by 10 straight outings of double figures to finish season.
ย
BEST GAMES โข FLORIDA
2023-24: Kugel racked up 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting and a season-high six steals against Loyola Maryland (Nov. 6) in season opener โฆ The fourth UF player to accomplish that stat line during the 2000s โฆ Registered a seasonโs best of 25 points and nine rebounds versus No. 13 Baylor (Nov. 24) during NIT Tipoff Championship Game โฆ Amassed 24 points at Wake Forest (Nov. 29) in ACC/SEC Challenge where he claimed SportsCenterโs top play with his breakaway slam dunk โฆ Began SEC action with a 15-point effort against No. 6 Kentucky (Jan. 6) โฆ Added 20 points and five rebounds versus Arkansas (Jan. 13) โฆ Poured in a SEC seasonโs best 22 points during win over No. 12 Auburn (Feb. 10) โฆ The 22 points were the most by a UF player versus a ranked opponent off the bench since KeVaughn Allen scored 24 points against No. 12 Auburn on Feb. 24, 2018 โฆ Provided 11 points and three steals versus Colorado (March 22) in NCAA Tournament.ย
ย
2022-23: Kugelโs top three non-conference scoring performances: 13 points versus eventual national champion and No. 5 Connecticut (Dec. 7), 12 points against Xavier (Nov. 24) and 10 points versus Oregon State (Nov. 25) โฆ Upped his scoring mark to 12.6 points per contest during SEC action, the highest for a UF freshmen since Bradley Bealโs 14.4 per game mark in 2011-12 โฆ Tallied 13 points and five rebounds against No. 20 Missouri (Jan. 14) โฆ Averaged 17.3 points on 49.6 from the field (62-of-127), 39.6 on three-point attempts (19-of-48) and 66.7 percent at the foul line (28-of-42) over 10-game run to finish season โฆ Started streak with 15 points at No. 3 Alabama (Feb. 8) โฆ Pumped home a seasonโs best 24 points aided by four treys against Kentucky (Feb. 22) followed by 20 points at Vanderbilt (Feb. 25) โฆ The last UF freshman to secure back-to-back games of 20+ points was Kenny Boynton in 2009-10 โฆ Capped regular season with 21 points versus LSU (March 4) โฆ Tallied 13 points against UCF (March 15) in NIT Round of 32.ย ย ย ย
ย
HIGH SCHOOL
Kugel was coached by Ben Witherspoon at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida โฆ A four-star prospect who checked in No. 67 nationally in ESPNโs Class of 2022 rankings and originally committed to Mississippi State in November 2021 โฆ Notched 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a senior โฆ Captured FABC All-State Second-Team honors in 2022 while his team secured a Class 7A runner-up finish โฆ Posted 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a junior โฆ Dr. Phillips won the schoolโs first Class 7A State Championship in 2021 โฆ Played AAU for Southeast Elite coached by Anthony Ricks โฆ Also played baseball, football and track growing up.
ย
PERSONAL
Born on November 30, 2003 โฆ Majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies.
Tuesday, July 14
Tuesday, July 14
Friday, April 17
Thursday, March 12
