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UCF's Summer League Duo Finishes With Best Performances
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- UCF's Summer League Duo Finishes With Best Performances
(William Purnell/Imagn Images)
With the Golden State Warriors 94-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in Sunday night's championship game, the 2026 Summer League came to an end.
UCF had two representatives, Riley Kugel and Themus Fulks, who both teamed up on the Los Angeles Clippers.
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The pair appeared in limited spurts, with Kugel getting his first run earlier on than Fulks.
However, on Friday, in the Clippers' summer league finale, the former Knights starting backcourt each posted their best showings.
Kugel, who made his only shot attempt in his first appearance, a 3-pointer, scored six points, adding two rebounds and a steal in 13 minutes of play.
Fulks, on the other hand, showed his ability to push pace and find open teammates, scoring seven points and dropping five dimes.
While his limited playing time definitely is not ideal, this is a good way to end his time with Los Angeles and could help him make a lasting impression.
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Both Fulks and Kugel, who went undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, were pivotal to UCF's success last season.
Kugel was UCF's top scorer (14.4 PPG) last season and frequently posted big nights from distance.
With head coach Johnny Dawkins bringing in a completely new team last season, Kugel was his most highly-touted recruit, grading in as a 4-star transfer, according to 247 Sports.
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.
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This offseason, Kugel earned an invitation to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT), where he posted a strong showing in game 1 for his team, Jani-King, notching 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 2-of-3 shooting from 3-point range in a 97-92 victory.
Fulks, UCF's table-setter, was one of the best facilitators in the country last season.
He averaged 14 points, 6.7 assists and 3 rebounds, shooting a team-high 46.2% from the field in his lone season with the Knights.
For his play, Fulks earned Third-Team All-Big 12 Honors, marking the first time a Knight has found their way onto an Big 12 All-Conference Team. He also was named to the Big 12 Starting Five three times throughout the season, providing consistent playmaking and efficient scoring to head coach Johnny Dawkins and the Knights.
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Going forward, it will be difficult for these players to land a spot on an official roster, but making the G-League and building from there should be an attainable goal.
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