Report: Florida Transfer Riley Kugel Commits to Kansas; PG was SEC All-Freshman

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVMarch 31, 2024

Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Kansas is already taking steps toward bouncing back from its NCAA men’s tournament second-round loss to Gonzaga.

Michael Swain of 247Sports reported the Jayhawks landed Florida guard Riley Kugel through the transfer portal on Sunday. Kugel was a 4-star prospect in the class of 2022, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, and played the last two seasons for the Gators as a rotational part of their backcourt.

Kugel, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, can help Kansas replace Kevin McCullar after the star departed through graduation.

The guard averaged 9.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 39.4 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from deep in 2023-24 for Florida. The efficiency was an issue, although Swain noted it improved when the Gators moved him out of the starting lineup and to the bench.

He shot 40.7 percent from the field off the bench after shooting just 38 percent as a starter.

It is too early to tell exactly what Kansas will look like in 2024-25 thanks to the transfer portal and potential NBA decisions, but expectations are always sky-high for the program. It was just two seasons ago that head coach Bill Self was cutting down the nets as the 2022 national champions.

However, Kansas didn’t win the Big 12 regular season or tournament title this past season.

They were a No. 4 seed in the Big Dance and lost in the second round in blowout fashion to Gonzaga. It was the Jayhawks’ second consecutive second-round loss, with the 2023 one coming as a No. 1 seed against No. 8 seed Arkansas.

Perhaps the addition of Kugel will help the program bounce back after two early exits.