Freshman Will Riley "Ready" As Ever To Contribute For Illinois This Season
Oftentimes, a coach will downplay an incoming freshman.
They want to avoid putting pressure on some 18-year-old, allow him to enter the program with no expectations. That's not the case with Illinois Fighting Illini newcomer Will Riley.
They know his talents. They know what to expect. And they have no problem raising the bar for him.
"He's ready. He's as ready as anybody we've had in my opinion," Illini coach Brad Underwood said. "There's an 'It' factor with him. He's just got 'It.' The game is easy for him."
Last week Riley picked the Illini over the likes of Alabama, Kentucky and Arizona. That alone shows his ability, with three of the nation's top programs courting him. Last year the 6-foot-8, 180-pound Riley was dominant enough to earn a Top 20 national ranking while playing at The Phelps School, a prep school in Malvern, Penn.
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He is considered a one-and-done prospect, with some analysts already projecting him as a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA draft if he leaves school early. During the recruiting process, Underwood said he fell in love watching Riley allow the game come to him.
He has the ability to make to others better while scoring within the offense.
"I think the night he had 40-plus in the game we saw, it wasn't where he was being hungry," Underwood said. "He was playing within the framework of what they gave him."
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
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SHANDEL RICHARDSON