Florida's Riley Kugel, coach Todd Golden 'back on the same page' after benching at Ole Miss
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Riley Kugel’s strange season seemingly reached a new low this week.
Kugel played just three minutes in a lopsided loss at Mississippi on Wednesday night, a head-scratching benching that coach Todd Golden initially explained as “I didn’t think he had it tonight.”
The 6-foot-5 sophomore guard and elite defender from Orlando, a preseason all-Southeastern Conference selection who averaged 17.3 points a game down the stretch in 2022-23, wasn’t an option to help get a stop against a Rebels team that connected on 21 of 28 shots in the second half?
“I’m going to keep it simple,” Golden said Friday. “Riley and I were just not on the same page the day of the game against Ole Miss. We met (Thursday). I think we had a great conversation. I think we’re back on the same page.
“I expect him to play really well (Saturday), and that’s really the depth that I’m going to go into it.”
The Gators (10-5, 0-2 Southeastern Conference) host Arkansas (9-6, 0-2) on Saturday. The Razorbacks traveled to Gainesville early and practiced at Florida’s facility because of winter storms in Fayetteville and across parts of the country.
Kugel has been tougher to predict than the weather. He ended his first year by scoring double figures in 10 consecutive games, becoming the first Florida freshman to accomplish the feat since Bradley Beal in 2011-12.
Kugel considered turning pro but ended up back in Gainesville, surely expecting the offense to run through him as a sophomore. Instead, he’s been far from dependable or consistent.
He’s scored five of fewer points six times already and has topped 15 points just three times. He’s missed 22 of his last 24 3-pointers. And outside a first-half surge against Kentucky last Saturday — he had 11 points, three rebounds and two steals in 11 minutes — he’s been mostly a non-factor since the beginning of December.
“Obviously we need him,” said fellow guard Walter Clayton Jr., who also is Kugel’s roommate. “We need for him to be at his best for us to be at our best. Sometimes things are a little tough, but you’ve just got to be able to fight through it. So how are you going to respond?”
Kugel hasn’t spoken to reporters since mid-December. At the time, he said he was “just finding my groove” and added “it’s going to be way better.” He also said he was adjusting to being under the microscope more than usual.
“It’s tough, you know, expectations,” Clayton said. “I think Riley puts a lot of pressure on himself, feeling like he’s not doing what he’s supposed to be doing. Us, as teammates, I think it’s our job to just keep him up mentally, just keep going. I think Riley, he’s young. He’s doing a great job responding to what’s being asked of him, what’s going on, so I think he’ll be good.”
Kugel was bumped from the starting lineup in late December and has come off the bench in the last three games. He’s averaging 10.9 points and 3.9 rebounds while playing a little more than 26 minutes a game. He's played considerably fewer minutes of late, with the fewest of his college career coming against the Rebels.
“We talked about it a lot in terms of trying to find his sweet spot and comfortability,” Golden said. “He’s not all the way there yet, but he’s not the only one. He’s not unique in that regard.
"Again, (Thursday) was good for us. I think we covered a lot of things, and I do expect him to play really well going forward.”
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