Florida basketball: Statistical surprises for the Gators through 13 games

Florida sits at 10-3, and have had their fair share of surprises through their first 13 games
Dec 30, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Tyrese Samuel (4) attempts a dunk
Dec 30, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Tyrese Samuel (4) attempts a dunk / Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
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Florida basketball: Riley Kugel's struggles from the field

Coming into the year, Riley Kugel was thought to be Florida's best scorer, and maybe one of the best overall players in the SEC.

But through 13 games, we haven't seen Kugel look as elite or efficient as he did at the end of last season, nor as good as we thought he could be this year.

Riley is currently scoring 11.5 points per game on 37.2% shooting from the field, which is the lowest on the team among players who play more than 10 minutes per game.

Kugel is also only shooting 25% from three-point range, which is way below the mark that everyone thought he would be at, and is the worst among Gators' guards in the regular rotation.

One possible explanation for his struggles is that Riley just isn't comfortable with his role yet. He was the guy for the Gators down the stretch last season, and was thought of very highly in the preseason.

But now, the Gators have a handful of guys who can go for 15 on any given night, and Kugel isn't the lone guy in the spotlight. Adjusting to that takes time, and is hopefully something that will happen soon.

The Gators are going to need Riley to get back to his old self if they want to take down teams like Kentucky and Tennessee.