Illini Assistant Orlando Antigua Details Pursuit Of Five-Star Recruit Will Riley

Zachary Draves | Jul 18, 2024

Dec 17, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; South Florida Bulls head coach Orlando Antigua reacts against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at USF Sun Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

It is safe to say five-star recruit Will Riley probably wouldn't have chosen Illinois without the efforts of associate coach Orlando Antigua.

Antigua knew Riley and his family while he was an assistant to John Calipari at Kentucky, That's when the recruitment began.

So when the time came to bring the highly-touted forward to the Illini, Antigua knew what he had to do.

"It was good," Antigua said. "He and I and the family have had a long relationship. It was something that the pieces and stars aligned and we were able to convince him to come see it."

Antigua felt confident Riley would choose Illinois after visiting the campus.

"I knew that when they got here and they got a chance to spend time with the staff and they got a chance to see the facilities and feel the support that Illinois gets," he said. "I thought all those things lined up."

Everything went according to plan when Riley committed to Illinois June 23.

He is one of the most highly anticipated recruits in Illini history, so with that comes plenty of pressure. At least he will have a coach who had previously recognized his talents by his side.

For any recruit entering a new environment, it takes time to adjust. In the case of Riley, he knows he is not entirely alone.

Zachary Draves is a contributor to IlliniNow. He can be reached at @zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.

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