Orlando native Riley Kugel is entering the NBA Draft after playing last year for the UCF Knights
Former UCF Knights guard Riley Kugel was considered a top NBA draft prospect a few years ago.
After finishing his collegiate career last season, he is ready to test the NBA waters. He recently announced he was entering the draft. He made a post via Instagram announcing his plays.
The social-media post read: "Gods timing! I will be declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft. Thanks to my coaches , teammates and all the people who have helped guide me to this position. To my best friend… Thank you for EVERYTHING, I love you mom. Keep steppin cause they gon hate on you regardless.."
Kugel was one of the nation's top high school players when he signed to play for the Florida Gators for the 2022-23 season. He was an All-State selection while being a standout at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando.
Kugel averaged 9.5 points in two seasons with the Gators before deciding a change was needed. In 2024, he transferred to the play for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. There, he averaged 9.3 points but was on the move again after one season.
That's when Kugel transferred to give it a try with the hometown UCF Knights.
“Riley is a proven winner with some high-level experience," Knights coach Johnny Dawkins said at the time of Kugel's arrival. "He’s a terrific perimeter player and a three-level scorer."
Last season, Kugel played a key role in the Knights making the NCAA Tournament by averaging 14.4 points. UCF was in the tournament for the first time since 2019. The Knights lost to the UCLA Bruins in the first round.
Kugel is considered a late second-round pick at best but will likely have to take the free agency route.
Here's a scouting report on Kugel courtesy of NBA Draft Room: "Kugel has emerged as a NBA Draft prospect. The 6-5 shooting guard wasn’t the highest recruit but quickly put himself on the draft radar with his play at Florida, before transferring to Mississippi State. He’s got solid size for the position and decent athleticism. He can be a streaky shooter and scorer with natural scoring instincts but will need to get more consistent."
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of UCFRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com