GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 2023 NBA draft has been in the books for less than a week, but already draft experts are looking ahead to what projects to be a solid 2024 draft class.
While the incoming freshmen class will likely make up a large portion of the 2024 draft, there are a handful of players who returned to college basketball for the upcoming 2023-24 season who could play their way into a first round selection.
Locked on College Basketball host Andy Patton spoke to Leif Thulin of the Locked on NBA Big Board about those returners to keep an eye on, and while the trio of sophomores at Duke gets most of the attention Thulin mentioned Florida guard Riley Kugel as his favorite pick to click next season.
"Riley Kugel, top 10 pick, you heard it here first," Thulin said. "Athletic, shot creator, he became a 20 per game scorer when [Colin] Castleton went down. I think he's an SEC first teamer, he could threaten for SEC Player of the Year and I think he's a top 10 pick where a team commits to him as their shooting guard of the future."
Kugel was a top ranked recruit who joined the Gators as a freshman last season, averaging 9.9 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 50.3% on two pointers and an excellent 37.6% from the three point line.
The 6'5 guard scored in double figures in each of Florida's final 10 games, a period of time where he averaged 17.3 points and bumped his three point percentage to 39.6% while attempting nearly five per game.
Florida lost Castleton to the NBA but added a tremendous amount of talent via the transfer portal, including guards Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton from Riverside and Iona, respectively, while also adding to their frontcourt with Micah Handlongten (Marshall) EJ Jarvis (Yale) and Tyrese Samuel (Seton Hall).
The influx of talent, as well as another year of development under Golden - who has a great reputation for developing guards, including former San Francisco guard Jamaree Bouyea who played for the Heat last year - should lead to a breakout campaign for Kugel.
The NBA draft lottery is usually comprised of international players or one-and-done freshmen, but Kugel has the skills and opportunity necessary to shoot his way into the conversation by next June.