Florida basketball coach Todd Golden explains why Riley Kugel hasn't played last two games

Florida basketball sophomore guard Riley Kugel appears to be in the doghouse again, but can work his way out of it.

Kugel did not play in the final two games for the Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament, even as UF was short-handed after center Micah Handlogten went down with a broken leg in the final against Auburn.

On Saturday, Florida coach Todd Golden went with sophomore Denzel Aberdeen as the first guard off the bench and it paid off, as Aberdeen scored a career-high 20 points in 22 minutes in UF's 95-80 semifinal win over Texas A&M.

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When asked if Kugel not playing was a disciplinary matter, Golden said Tuesday: "A combination of I think some other guys just stepping up. You look at what Denzel has been able to do for us over the last couple of weeks, and he's a guy that's super consistent and has a great attitude and regardless of his playing time brings the same approach on a day-to-day basis. He had been playing better for the last couple weeks.

"I thought Denzel played great at home against 'Bama, thought he gave us a big lift in the 'Bama game in Nashville, and then it's just kind of a decision that we've made to go with him for the Texas A&M game and he made me look smart. He played his tail off, had 20 points in 22 minutes, guarded really, really well."

Kugel made six clutch free throws down the stretch in UF's SEC Tournament opener against Georgia, scoring 8 points. But it's been an inconsistent season for the 6-foot-5 preseason All-SEC guard who shined late in his freshman season.

Kugel lost his starting job in December and was forced to adjust to a sixth-man role. He has had some big games off the bench, including 20 points on Jan. 18 against Arkansas and 22 points against Auburn on Feb. 10. But mental lapses have been an issue, as Kugel has turned the ball over 10 times in his last five games.

"The reality is basketball is a team game and sometimes different guys are needed for different circumstances," Golden said. "For that specific moment in the tournament we thought Denzel and his ball handling and his defense would give us a big lift and he stepped up for us."

Golden said he's hopeful that Kugel will practice well this week and provide a lift for Florida in the NCAA Tournament. The 7-seed Gators open the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Friday at Gainbridge Field House in Indianapolis (4:25 p.m., TBS) and will face the winner of the 10-seed game between Colorado and Boise State in the First Four on Wednesday night,

"We are down one obviously and could really use him in a lot of different ways," Golden said. "So, I expect him to have really good practices today, tomorrow and Thursday, and then my hope is that he gives us a good lift on Friday in the games."