Florida Basketball: Gators land 4-star in-state guard Riley Kugel

A former Mississippi State commit who de-committed from the Bulldogs back in late-March, Riley Kugel has now committed to Florida Basketball, continuing what has been an impressive offseason for the Gators and new head coach Todd Golden.

4-star guard Riley Kugel commits to Florida Basketball

A four-star guard from in-state Dr. Phillips High School, Kugel is considered as one of the top shooting guards in the 2022 class, as well as the No. 78 overall player nationally according to the 247Sports Composite. A talented scorer offensively at 6-foot-4, Kugel averaged 16.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 3.2 APG this past season for one of Florida’s top prep teams, and has the potential to be an impact scorer at the collegiate level as well.

With the addition of Kugel, Florida’s 2022 class now holds a total of two commitments from the high school ranks, with teammate at Dr. Phillips, Denzel Aberdeen, joining the four-star. A three-star guard, Aberdeen has been committed to the Gators since November of 2021, and is also a talented scorer who averaged 14.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 3.1 APG this past season.

As mentioned at the beginning however, the addition of Kugel only continues what has been an impressive last one-to-two months for Florida Basketball, with the Gators having added multiple significant transfers to their backcourt in particular.

Included in those additions are guards Kyle Lofton, Will Richard, and Trey Bonham, with Lofton in particular a significant addition as a three-time All-A-10 selection and four-year starter at St. Bonaventure. LSU transfer wing Alex Fudge is also a key pickup for the Gators, and is a candidate for a breakout season in 2022-23.

Overall, the addition of Kugel is yet another talented offensive player that adds to what is shaping up to be a very-deep Florida backcourt. The four-star guard could very-easily make an impact for the Gators next season, and should be a key piece of the backcourt rotation.