Former UCF guard Riley Kugel took a significant step toward a return to the Knights on Wednesday, when he was granted an injunction in Monroe Circuit Court in Indiana.
If the ruling holds, Kugel would be eligible to get back on the floor for Johnny Dawkins, giving UCF a scoring wing who also doubled as one of the team’s best perimeter defenders last season. He averaged 14.4 points per game and gave the Knights a player who could create offense from all three levels.
Kugel’s best stretches came in bunches. Early in non-conference play, he announced himself against Vanderbilt with 25 points and went 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. That performance was part of a seven-game run in which he scored at least 12 points each time.
His season later took a brief hit when he suffered an ankle injury Feb. 17 against TCU. After missing two games, he came back with a bang against Baylor, delivering a career-high 26 points along with five assists and five rebounds. Even in an 87-86 loss, Kugel was central to the comeback push, scoring 14 second-half points as UCF erased a double-digit halftime hole.
He kept rolling after that, posting 18 points against Oklahoma State while shooting 7-of-14 from the field.
After UCF’s first-round March Madness loss to UCLA, Kugel spoke about what he hoped people would remember about the team and his time back home. “I would say a a team that battled through ups and downs, that you know, persevered through.
No matter what critics, media said, preseason polls. You know, just 13 individuals that came together who had one goal,” Kugel said.
“We came up short, but still to come this far, we didn't came far. So, just to be able to, you know, buy in and lock into what the coaches are telling us, Coach Dawkins is telling us throughout the whole year and just staying together.
I think you've got to respect it.”
Kugel then declared for the NBA Draft, went unselected, and entered the undrafted free agent market. The Los Angeles Clippers later signed him and UCF point guard Themus Fulks to Summer League deals.
Even there, the opportunity was tight. With No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler and veteran guards Kobe Sanders, Sean Pedulla and Cam Christie on the roster, Kugel and Fulks had a hard time finding consistent minutes.
Still, Kugel made the most of his opening chance, knocking down a 3-pointer on his only shot attempt in his first outing. He checked in during the second quarter, spotted space on the wing and confidently buried the triple.
A return to Dawkins’ lineup would give UCF another proven scorer and perimeter stopper, while also giving Kugel another chance to build the kind of season that could strengthen his NBA case.
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