Florida Gators Basketball 2022-23 Player Profile: Wing Riley Kugel
Photo: Riley Kugel; Credit: Maddie Washburn - University Athletic Association
There's an uncharacteristic buzz surrounding Florida basketball in the preseason. It may not be a national buzz, but those close to the program can feel something is different.
Seeing drastic turnover occur from top to bottom — with head coach Mike White, his assistants and four starters departing from Gainesville — the University of Florida brought in San Francisco head coach Todd Golden to take over at the helm.
While a mass exodus usually indicates that significant time is needed to rebuild, all the right pieces have fallen into the right places. The changing of the guard at the top of the program can serve as the pivotal turning point needed to surge back from the distressing state of mediocrity experienced as of late.
In an effort to reconstruct the program to its former status of consistency and excellence achieved under Billy Donovan, Golden made it a focus to draw in talented transfers to fill the bevy of holes the roster presented.
Adding on to the promising members retained from 2021-22, the Gators have compiled a more-than-capable unit to take the floor next season.
The mixture of new and familiar faces slates them to reconcile the program sooner rather than later under the new leadership.
In anticipation of Golden's first season in charge, All Gators plans to profile the 12 scholarship players occupying spots on the roster as they look to accomplish that mission in the upcoming season.
Starting in the backcourt and working into the frontcourt thus far with Kyle Lofton, Trey Bonham, Denzel Aberdeen, Myreon Jones, Niels Lane and Will Richard completed, we reach the final projected player on the wing in the form of potential standout true freshman Riley Kugel.
Player History
Kugel was a four-star wing prospect out of Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla., during the 2022 recruiting cycle.
Originally committed to Mississippi State, Kugel shut down his recruitment in September 2021 intending to head to Starkville (Miss.) to continue his promising young career.
However, when Ben Howland was fired in mid-March, the 6-foot-5, 207-pound two-guard utilized the ability to re-enter the open market late in the 2022 cycle. That luxury is extended to guys committed to a program undergoing a coaching change.
While Florida was bit by the same bug with the departures of wings Malik Reneau and Jalen Reed heading elsewhere after the new staff stepped in, Golden and Co. benefitted from Kugel's return to uncommitted status.
Drawing considerable interest from a bevy of SEC schools, including LSU and Georgia, the Florida native elected to stay home to bolster Todd Golden's transition class with the Gators.
He joins fellow Dr. Phillips graduate and guard Denzel Aberdeen and German center Aleks Szymczyk as the lone members of Florida's 2022 high school class. Kugel enrolled alongside Szymczyk in August.
2022-23 Season Role/Projection
When Kugel arrived on campus following the summer workout period, the thought was that he would take some time to grow acclimated to the jump in level of play from high school to college ball.
However, in the early portion of his practice career, Kugel's shown heightened capabilities for a freshman. That comes in the form of his athleticism, shooting stroke and mental understanding of the game.
Working well as an off-ball guard who can still handle the rock and winning on the wing, Kugel's multi-dimensional skillset is a positive for Florida's squad. As a scorer at heart, he can create shot opportunities for himself at all three levels and has rare confidence for someone his age in the practice sessions on the offensive end.
On the defensive end, Kugel continues to bring juice to the unit with his instinctual play style. With the length and quickness on and off the ball, Kugel is getting his fingertips on balls and minimizing passing lanes at a high clip this season.
Florida assistant Kevin Hovde said his prowess on that end sets him apart from other first-year talents, given the usual struggle with learning the pace of play.
He's begun to work with the first group in 5-on-5 sessions, proving his meteoric rise from potential redshirt to a legitimate contender for playing time in the early days repping orange and blue.
His coaches and teammates have praised him for his ability to pick up the game at a high level while also learning a new system alongside his teammates in year one of the new coaching staff.
He will need to continue to grow from a decision-making standpoint, but the uber-talented in-state prospect will be challenging for the Gators to keep off the floor this season.
He continues to battle for a spot in what could shape up to be an uncharacteristically deep roster with 11 men legitimately competing to crack the nine-to-10-man rotation.
The hurdle he faces is playing at the deepest and most talented position on the Florida roster.
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