Former Gators guard transfer won’t play for Kansas, returns to portal
The schadenfreude is thick in the air for the Gator Nation on Wednesday afternoon after a report that former Florida basketball guard Riley Kugel will once again return to the NCAA transfer portal.
The erstwhile member of the Orange and Blue had committed to the Kansas Jayhawks, but it appears that those plans have fallen through. CBS Sports senior writer Matt Norlander reported that the once highly-heralded recruit out of Dr. Phillips in Orlando, Florida, was in limbo with his new program before the news was announced.
Head coach Bill Self told NCAA digital reporter Andy Katz on Monday that Kugel’s future was “up in the air” and it appears that the chickens have finally come home to roost for the Sunshine State product.
Portal update: Riley Kugel won't play at Kansas, per sources. Bill Self told @TheAndyKatz Monday Kugel's future w/ KU was "up in the air." Kugel (9.2 ppg @ Florida) is on CBS Sports' list of notable 2024 transfers. He's being recruited again by high-majors.https://t.co/A5mEEs1RYI
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) May 8, 2024
So back to the open market Kugel goes with a somewhat tarnished reputation but still plenty of options available. Still, it has been a precipitous fall for the former four-star prospect after earning First Team All-SEC honors ahead of the 2023-24 campaign as well as NBA draft projections.
Hopefully, he lands somewhere where he can rebuild his stock and his confidence. It will not be in Lawrence, Kansas, however.
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