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UCF Lists G Riley Kugel on Roster, Confirms Return
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- UCF Lists G Riley Kugel on Roster, Confirms Return
(Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
Riley Kugel is back as a UCF Knight , confirmed by the team listing him on the roster for their local media day on Monday, per Chris Boyle of the Dayonta Beach News-Journal .
Kugel changed his jersey number to No. 8 as Arturo Dean, who sat out last season, wears No. 2.
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The fifth-year guard sought a return to college after going undrafted and unsigned on a training camp deal. A temporary injunction in Monroe Circuit Court in Indiana granted him another season of eligibility, and the NCAA backed the ruling with a motion to stay the injunction.
He is returning with minimal NBA experience on his resume. Kugel joined his former teammate, Themus Fulks, on the Los Angeles Clippers summer league team.
Los Angeles had depth at guard, featuring first-round pick Keaton Wagler, Kobe Saunders and Cam Christie. Steep competition led to limited opportunities for the college returnee.
Kugel made a couple of threes during his action. Neither the Clippers nor another team gave the 6-foot-5 guard a training camp deal.
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Now, he's back at UCF and shaking up the rotation. He led the Knights in scoring last season, averaging 14.4 points while shooting 38.7% from three.
UCF's leading scorer recorded 20 or more points in three games and flirted with that scoreline eight times.
Coach Johnny Dawkins rebuilt his guard rotation during April's transfer portal. He added Tarleton State transfer Dior Johnson, who returned for his second stint, and North Carolina A&T transfer Lewis Walker, a rising sophomore transferring into the Big 12.
Johnson and Walker showed out in the Knights' 81-85 exhibition loss to the LSU Tigers. They scored 31 points, with Johnson scoring 18 (16 coming in the second half) and Walker adding 13 off the bench.
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Walker has built a strong case for Dawkins to name him a starter , but Kugel's return muddies the rotation. The fifth-year guard brings NCAA Tournament experience and could form a dynamic Big 12 backcourt alongside Johnson.
He, Bol, Carmelo Pacheco and Elijah Hulsewe helped UCF break a six-season tournament drought. Dawkins could opt to rely on a veteran who played a significant role in last season's success.
Kugel's return also sets him up to potentially make his return on Sunday against Division II Rollins College. His role on an overhauled Knights roster will be clearer in the exhibition match and exhibition finale against the Kentucky Wildcats.
UCF's backcourt received an unexpected boost ahead of the regular season, which could help the program make back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
