Riley Kugel

Riley Estelle Kugel is an American college basketball player for the UCF Knights men’s basketball team of the Big 12 Conference. He previously played for the Florida Gators and the Mississippi State Bulldogs

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. Kugel averaged 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game as a senior.

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

Kugel became a starter for the Florida Gators midway through his freshman season. He finished the season averaging 9.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game and was named the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team. 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. He considered entering the 2023 NBA draft, but ultimately decided to Florida for his sophomore season. Before the start of the 2023–2024 season, he was named to coaches preseason All-SEC first team. Kugel announced his intention to transfer out of Florida in March 2024.

Kugel announced his commitment to Kansas on March 31, 2024. He announced on May 8, 2024 that he would not play for Kansas after all.