Florida guard Riley Kugel talked to the media ahead of Thursday’s matchup with East Carolina and tackled everything from returning to the Lakeland area to his play on the court the season.
Kugel is third on the team in minutes (29.6) through nine games this season. He’s one of three Gators to start every game this year and is averaging 13.6 points per game.
After flirting with the NBA draft in the offseason, Kugel has stepped up as a team leader, but his offensive output hasn’t been as prolific as expected. Kugel ended the season on an eight-game run where he averaged more than 20 points per game, but he hasn’t quite hit his groove yet in 2023.
Still, Kugel has improved as a defender, facilitator and rebounder. His assists, rebounds and steals are up from last year.
Here is everything Kugel said ahead of Thursday’s game against East Carolina.