Florida transfer guard Riley Kugel commits to Mississippi State

Former Florida guard Riley Kugel has committed to Mississippi State, via the NCAA Transfer Portal, per Jon Rothstein. Kugel initially committed to Kansas in the portal but re-opened his recruitment on May 8.

Kugel spent two seasons with the Gators, amassing 65 appearances and 28 starts. In the 2023-24 season, Kugel averaged 9.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 39.4% from the field and 31.2% from beyond the arc.

Kugel’s best game of the season came in Florida’s 95-91 loss to Baylor when he erupted for a career-high 25 points and nine rebounds, connecting on 4-6 attempts from 3-point range.

Kugel’s solid sophomore campaign was no fluke. During his debut season with the Gators, Kugel averaged an even better 9.9 points per game while shooting an improved 45.6% from the floor and 37.6% from downtown. For his efforts, the 6-foot-5 guard was named an All-SEC Freshman.

Riley Kugel played high school basketball at Dr. Phillips High School (FL), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 71 overall recruit in the. 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Kugel announced his commitment on Instagram, writing “Back to where it all started.” The caption is a reference to Kugel’s initial commitment to Mississippi State in 2022 before eventually signing with Florida.

Kugel is the fifth player Mississippi State has added via the transfer portal this offseason, joining Kanye Clary (Penn State), Michael Nwoko (Miami), Claudell Harris Jr. (Boston College) and RJ Melendez (Georgia).

The program has also lost four players to the portal, ultimately landing at No. 7 in On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings. Mississippi State finished last season with a 21-14 record. It was head coach Chris Jans‘ second year at the helm of the program.

The team suffered a season-ending loss to Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In Jans’ first year leading the Bulldogs, the team lost in the First Four of the Big Dance. Now, with a revamped roster, Jans will look to take the program to new heights next season.

Following the team’s loss in the SEC Tournament last year, forward DJ Jeffries provided Jans with a ringing endorsement.

“I would say we’re in good hands,” Jeffries said. “Coach Jans, he knows what he’s doing. Him and the coaching staff put in countless work and countless hours to get us a game plan, help us go out there and do what we need to do. I’d say the future is bright. This is only the beginning for Bulldog basketball.”