A landmark court ruling has cleared the way for the Knights’ dynamic leading scorer to leverage extra eligibility and bring his two-way dominance back to the hardwood.
UCF senior guard Riley Kugel was one of the Knights' most dynamic players last season, leading the team in scoring and coming up big against some of the team's toughest opponents.
Over the weekend, Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court of Colorado approved an injunction for all class of 2022 high school graduates to have the opportunity to add an additional year of eligibility.
This applies to Kugel, who is now seeking a return to college hoops, according to On3's Joe Tipton.
On top of averaging a team-high 14.4 points per game, Kugel often took it upon himself to guard the opposing team's best ball handler.
Kugel's defensive intensity was apparent during his minutes, as the 6-foot-5 guard combines physicality with lateral quickness to keep drivers in front of him.
He burst onto the scene for the Knights against Vanderbilt early in non-conference play. Kugel scored 25 points, shooting 4-of-5 from 3-point range. This was the second game of a seven-game streak of Kugel scoring 12 or more points.
After suffering an ankle injury on Feb. 17 against TCU, Kugel missed two games before emphatically returning against the Baylor Bears. The 6-foot-5 combo guard scored a career-high 26 points against the Bears, adding five assists and five rebounds.
Despite the 87-86 loss, Kugel fueled the Knights' comeback effort, scoring 14 second-half points to counter the team's double-digit halftime deficit.
Dawkins gave props to his leading scorer following the loss, praising him for staying ready despite limited reps.
"Well, he's talented young player and of course, he's one of our best players and so, you know, I think you're always better when your best players are able to play out there on the floor for you and so it's good to have him back," Dawkins said. "And I I thought he gave us, you know, everything that he had. I thought he, you know, he gave us everything considering he's been out for quite a while. He's missed several games and had very limited practices. And so, I thought for what he went through and, you know, it was impressive because a lot of players couldn't have done what he did tonight based on the limited reps he's taken since the injury."
Kugel followed up his career-high outburst with an efficient 18-point night against Oklahoma State, shooting 7-of-14 from the field.
After the Knights' loss to UCLA in the first round of March Madness, Kugel talked about his appreciation for his time back home, while telling media what he wanted the team to be remembered for.
"I would say a a team that battled through ups and downs, that you know, persevered through. No matter what critics, media said, preseason polls. You know, just 13 individuals that came together who had one goal," Kugel said. "We came up short, but still to come this far, we didn't came far. So, just to be able to, you know, buy in and lock into what the coaches are telling us, Coach Dawkins is telling us throughout the whole year and just staying together. I think you've got to respect it."
Following his lone season back home, Kugel declared for the NBA Draft.
After going undrafted, he played alongside former UCF Knight Themus Fulks on the Los Angeles Clippers' Summer League team.
With No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler and more-experienced guards like Kobe Sanders, Sean Pedulla and Cam Christie on the roster, it may be difficult to find minutes.
But, despite the limited opportunity, Kugel made his mark, making his only shot attempt, a 3-pointer.
Kugel subbed in during the second quarter and found himself open for a wing triple, confidently stepping up and knocking it down.
UCF should definitely be in the running to bring back the talented scorer, but other programs will be interested as well.
