NBA Draft Scouting Report: Florida's Riley Kugel
Riley Kugel
Guard | Florida
Height: 6'5” | Weight: 205 lbs
2024 Draft Age: 20.57
Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
A late riser in the recent college season, Kugel is an offensive-minded prospect. He’s a flashy self-creator that leverages an advanced scoring package to generate points. He’s a tough shot maker and doesn’t lack confidence.
Part of the reason he began to make a name for himself in draft circles over the final weeks of the season was due to team injuries and an opportunity to step up. Kugel shined in an increased role and really emerged as a primary scorer for Florida down the stretch.
When looking at his body of work overall as a starter and reserve, the efficiency is quite impressive given his shot diet. Kugel was effective from all three levels, scoring at an efficient clip despite taking some really tough shots. There’s many times in which he takes shots that might be considered poor looks, but he converts at a good rate.
What was interesting about Kugel’s freshman season was the poor free throw shooting for a guard. He was a quality shooter from the floor but not from the line.
At the NBA level, the Gator will likely have to play off-ball due to his lack of lead guard skills. He’s great at creating for himself, but isn’t necessarily a facilitator or playmaker for others. In fact, he had more turnovers than assists during his freshman season. He also wasn’t a great positional rebounder.
As such, teams will have to determine if he brings enough to the table outside of scoring to be worth a draft selection at this point. Kugel will need to impact the game in other ways outside of generating points.
Furthermore, while he got better defensively as the season went on, he has a long way to go on that end. He flashed high upside at points in the season, but was lost in certain schemes at other times.
The former four-star recruit and state champion out of Orlando at least made the case for consideration in the 2023 NBA Draft, but has decided to school for another year. If Kugel can go back in another primary role and showcase upside outside of scoring, he could be a potential first rounder next summer.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Potential First-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
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