Florida Guard Riley Kugel Named SEC Freshman of the Week

Rising star Riley Kugel earns his first pin of recognition for his recent uptick in play by drawing SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his outings against Georgia and LSU in the final week of the regular season.

The Gators' true freshman standout played a vital role in leading Florida to back-to-back victories on the heels of a three-game losing streak. He averaged 20 points, 4.5 rebounds, and two assists to bolster the Gators' offensive attack in the wins without Colin Castleton in the fold.

He's produced 20.2 points on 52% from the floor and 44% from three in Castleton's absence, earning a significant buzz for a potential jump elsewhere (NBA or transfer portal) following the 2022-23 season.

He addressed and shut down those rumors on Saturday night.

"Being a part of the program is just a blessing," he reflected. "I definitely love this team with every inch of me. I really don't have any ideas of leaving this team soon [through] like transfer portal or anything like that. So, any talk about that, it's just a lie."

Keeping the newly crowned freshman of the week will be the top priority for Todd Golden and Co. this offseason, as Kugel serves as the main building block for the program's future.

His impressive week began Tuesday as the Gators downed the Dawgs, 77-67, in Athens.

While Kugel operated as second fiddle in the offense to Will Richard, who produced a career-high 24 points, he still accounted for 19 points on 66.7% from the floor to provide sustained offensive success for the Gators to snap a three-game skid.

In Florida's comeback win over LSU, Kugel continued to produce at an uber-high level to lead Florida over the Tigers. Despite a slower start in this contest, which he blamed on his lackadaisical approach to the game in the first half, Kugel flipped a switch nearly five minutes into the second half to knock down a game-changing three-point bucket to trim the deficit to nine.

He shined, alongside Richard and Kyle Lofton, from that point forward, winning at all three levels of the floor offensively and making opportune plays on the defensive end.

Finishing with 21 points on 57.1% from the field and 4-for-7 from the perimeter, Kugel kickstarted and maintained the Gators' impressive second-half surge.

He earns the honors on the heels of those performances as a result.

Kugel and the Gators open the second round of the SEC Tournament against Mississippi State at 1 p.m. EST on Thursday.

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