GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Two Florida men’s basketball players earned Southeastern Conference accolades on Monday as graduate forward Colin Castleton was named first-team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team and freshman guard Riley Kugel earned a place on the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Castleton led the Gators in scoring (16.0) and rebounding (7.7) while his 3.0 blocked shots per game rank fourth in the nation and are a Florida single-season record. Castleton joined Dorian Finney-Smith as the only transfers to join the 1,000-point club at Florida, and his 1,165 points at UF rank 41st in program history. His 194 blocked shots are third all-time for the Gators, and his 2.49 blocked shots per game are a program record. Castleton had four straight 20-point games before suffering a broken hand on Feb. 15 vs. Ole Miss that has sidelined him since.
Castleton joins rare company in Florida history as a three-time All-SEC honoree becoming the fourth Gator this century, 13th all-time and the first in a decade to achieve that status (Kenny Boynton, 2011-13). He is also the third Gator to earn both first-team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive team honors, joining Chris Chiozza (2017-18) and Scottie Wilbekin (2013-14).
Freshman Riley Kugel has been a major contributor for the Gators, averaging 12.6 points in SEC play while shooting at a .516 clip from the field and .407 from 3-point range. He scored in double figures in eight straight games to close the regular season, the longest double-figure scoring streak in SEC play by a UF freshman since Bradley Beal (10, 2011-12). Over that eight-game stretch, Kugel has averaged 18.3 points per game with three 20-point performances. With Kugel’s honor, Florida has had a member of the SEC All-Freshman Team in 11 of the last 16 seasons. Earlier today, Kugel was also named SEC Freshman of the Week for his role in the Gators’ wins against Georgia and LSU.
Three-Time All-SEC Honorees at Florida
Colin Castleton
2021-23
Kenny Boynton
2011-13
Matt Bonner
2001-03
Udonis Haslem (4x)
1999-2002
Andrew DeClercq
1993-95
Dwayne Davis
1989-91
Vernon Maxwell
1986-88
Andrew Moten
1985-87
Eugene McDowell
1983-85
Ronnie Williams (4x)
1981-84
Chip Williams
1973-75
Tony Miller
1971-73
Andy Owens
1968-70
2022-23 SEC Men’s Basketball Awards
First Team
Brandon Miller, Alabama
Colin Castleton, Florida
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Tolu Smith, Mississippi State
Kobe Brown, Missouri
Santiago Vescovi, Tennessee
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M
Liam Robbins, Vanderbilt
Second Team
Mark Sears, Alabama
Anthony Black, Arkansas
Ricky Council IV, Arkansas
Johni Broome, Auburn
Wendell Green Jr., Auburn
KJ Williams, LSU
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
Tyrece Radford, Texas A&M
All-Defensive Team
Charles Bediako, Alabama
Davonte Davis, Arkansas
Colin Castleton, Florida
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
Liam Robbins, Vanderbilt
All-Freshman Team
Jaden Bradley, Alabama
Noah Clowney, Alabama
Brandon Miller, Alabama
Anthony Black, Arkansas
Riley Kugel, Florida
Chris Livingston, Kentucky
Cason Wallace, Kentucky
Gregory “GG” Jackson II, South Carolina
Julian Phillips, Tennessee
Co-Coach of the Year: Buzz Williams, Texas A&M & Jerry Stackhouse, Vanderbilt
Player of the Year: Brandon Miller, Alabama
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Kobe Brown, Missouri
Freshman of the Year: Brandon Miller, Alabama
Co-Sixth-Man of the Year: Jahvon Quinerly, Alabama & Antonio Reeves, Kentucky
Defensive Player of the Year: Liam Robbins, Vanderbilt
