Perhaps the most talented returning player on Florida’s roster heading into the 2023-24 men’s college basketball season is wing [autotag]Riley Kugel[/autotag].
He flirted with the draft following a strong finish to his freshman year but ultimately decided to return to Gainesville to lead the Gators and boost his draft stock.
So far, so good for Kugel, who was named to the preseason All-SEC second team in the conference preseason media poll Tuesday. The Gators were also picked to finish eighth in the conference. Auburn and Mississippi occupy the Nos. 6 and 7 spots.
Kugel nearly averaged double figures as a freshman, ending the season with a 9.9 per game average. His 12.6 points per game in SEC play was the best figure put up by a Gators freshman since Bradley Beal in 2011-12. Kugel also finished the season on an eight-game streak of double-digit points.
With several of last year’s leaders no longer with the team, Kugel has a chance to step up and have a big year with the Gators. If he struggles, so might the rest of the team.
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