Riley Kugel Says He’ll Transfer To Kansas

Former Florida guard Riley Kugel announced Sunday he’s transferring to the University of Kansas. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

The sophomore, 6-foot-5 guard announced his transfer decision on social media after choosing the Jayhawks over Arizona, Houston and UConn. He posted on social media saying he was transferring from Florida, Wednesday.

https://twitter.com/RileyKugel/status/1774496341470724457

Kugel Stats

In his two seasons at Florida, Kugel showcased at times to be one of the most athletic players on the floor under head coach Todd Golden. Kugel averaged 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in his two seasons with Florida. Coming out of high school, he was a four-star recruit and Golden’s highest commit. Kugel signed with the Gators over Auburn, Miami and Houston. In addition, he was named one of the Southeastern Conference’s best first-year students while earning a spot in the starting lineup. As a freshman, he started 17 out of 32 games and shot 45.6% from the field.

Throughout his sophomore year, he started the first 11 games of the season before playing an increased role off of the bench. This season, he averaged 9.2 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game. This season, Kugel scored a career-high 25 points against Baylor Nov. 24, 2023.

What’s Next?

After a disappointing season with the Gators, Kugel heads to Lawrence to play for Bill Self and Kansas. The Jayhawks are coming off of a season finishing with a 22-10 overall record. They made the NCAA Tournament as a 4-seed but fell to Gonzaga in the Round of 32.

Kugel marks the first player to transfer from the Gators. With the departure of Kugel, as well guard Zyon Pullin and forward Tyrese Samuel, Golden is expected to make noise in the portal similar to last offseason. Golden found success in the portal last year, gaining six players from the portal.