Gators Riley Kugel: 'I Don't Have Any Ideas of Leaving [Florida] Soon'

Gators true freshman standout Riley Kugel confirmed his pledge of loyalty to Florida for after the 2022-23 season despite exit buzz.

Gators true freshman phenomenon Riley Kugel will likely have a decision to make at the end of the 2022-23 season.

Will he return to Florida for a second season in orange and blue, test his luck elsewhere in the collegiate game via the transfer portal or become the first Gator since Bradley Beal to make the jump to the NBA after just one season?

The question has grown increasingly common amongst star players on non-tournament contenders over the last several years, especially with the ease of maneuvering from team to team in the modern transfer portal era. Kugel is emerging into such for Florida, thus drawing national attention that stirs the pot of questions.

Todd Golden spoke on the likelihood of Kugel leaving following the year on Friday, expressing confidence in his return to Florida.

"Riley is really, he's a really good young man, and I think he's grateful for the opportunity that we presented to him last spring when we got here," Golden said when asked about the possibility of having to re-recruit Kugel to Gainesville.

"He's loyal, and he's a really good guy, good family, and, you know, I think he likes to be here. He wants to be a Gator. It's the day and age of college basketball where we got to fight things off and do certain things like that, but Riley's a loyal guy. He's not necessarily one I worry about that way in terms of changing his allegiances.

"I think it's a really good relationship that way."

Despite underachieving internal expectations in year one, Golden and Co. have made strides to provide signs of promise for the regime's future. Kugel's played a major part in that, especially when instilling sustainable offense back into the program after years of stagnancy on that end of the floor.

He flashed his elite athleticism early in his freshman campaign, but struggled to put it together in the out-of-conference slate. 

However, after a head injury to Alex Fudge thrust him into the starting lineup, Kugel began his upward rise. When Colin Castleton went down for the year with injury, the Dr. Phillips product took the opportunity presented to him and ran with it.

On Saturday, following his 21-point performance in the comeback victory over LSU — his third 20-point outing in the last four games — Kugel echoed his coach's sentiment of loyalty to Florida. He sent a statement to Gator fans not to worry about his future.

He's not going anywhere.

"Being a part of the program is just a blessing," he reflected. "I definitely love this team with every inch of me. I really don't have any ideas of leaving this team soon [through] like transfer portal or anything like that. So, any talk about that, it's just a lie."

His words don't necessarily negate the buzz surrounding the "NBA-caliber skillset" tabs he's received recently, but it does send a sense of immediate comfort to those in and around the program looking for him to be a staple of the roster in 2023-24.

In the five games since the star big man went down, Kugel's assumed the reins of the offense as Florida's number one scoring option. He's excelled in creating space off the dribble, showing the ability to hurt opposing defenses from all three levels.

It's led him to average 20.2 points on 52% from the floor and 44% from three in those past five appearances.

He's allowed his playmaking prowess to shine bright, leading the Gators to two straight wins to end the year without much depth in the frontcourt.

His unexpected, but welcomed, dominance has drawn significant professional attention that only increases as the year rolls along, and his play continues improving. The former No. 83 nationally ranked recruit receives glowing reviews as a sleeper draft prospect more frequently with each scoring outburst he produces. However, some believe another year at UF could propel him into a borderline lottery pick if he can impact the game at the level he is currently over an entire season.

The choice will ultimately be his, and a looming NBA contract can be difficult to turn down.

Florida still has the SEC Tournament and potentially postseason play in the NIT in mind following the regular-season finale.

As a result, his final decision for his future will come later — as he weighs the plentiful options at hand — but the words of affirmation for the Gators program bode well for retaining the team's largest building block beyond this year.

Right now, he confirmed his pledge of loyalty to the program and is committed to being the face of Florida basketball moving forward.

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