Gators Guard Riley Kugel Placed on Jerry West Award Watch List

Florida Gators sophomore guard Riley Kugel was named to the Jerry West Award watch list on Tuesday ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced.

The honor is annually awarded to the top shooting guard in Division I men's college basketball.

It is Kugel's second preseason accolade, as he also earned way onto the Preseason All-SEC Second Team on Oct. 17.

The Orlando, Fla., native returns to the University of Florida following an impressive freshman year, averaging 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and an assist per game for the Gators in 2022-23. 

His production saw a notable uptick in conference play, culminating in his 17 points per game in the final 10 contests to lead the offensive attack in the absence of Colin Castleton — who suffered a season-ending injury in mid-February.

Kugel earned vast praise for his performance down the stretch, drawing the eye of several professional franchises and setting up his potential jump to the NBA stage. However, after weighing his options, he elected to return to Gainesville, giving head coach Todd Golden a pivotal component to spearhead the vastly reconstructed roster the program will court in 2023-24. 

Kugel will strive to build off his first collegiate impression with another NBA Darft-worthy campaign while simultaneously serving as a leader for the unit to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020-21.