Will Riley
{{short description|Canadian basketball player}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Will Riley
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| position = Shooting guard / small forward
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 8
| weight_lb = 195
| league = Big Ten
| team = Illinois Fighting Illini
| number = 7
| draft_year = 2025
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2006|02|10}}
| birth_place = Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
| high_school = The Phelps School
(Malvern, Pennsylvania)
| college = Illinois (2024–present)
| highlights =
- Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year (2025)
}}
William Riley (born February 10, 2006) is a Canadian college basketball player who plays for the Illinois Fighting Illini of the Big Ten Conference.
High school career
Riley attended high school at Southwest Academy Prep in London, Ontario with brief stops at Preston High School and Grand River Collegiate Institute.{{cite web |last=Bryson |first=Mark |title=Kitchener's Will Riley hot in pursuit of NBA dream |url=https://www.therecord.com/sports/basketball/kitcheners-will-riley-hot-in-pursuit-of-nba-dream/article_3de361ba-23aa-53d9-882f-609ab80f648c.html |website=The Record |access-date=23 September 2024 |date=2 March 2024}} He then attended The Phelps School in Malvern, PA where he spent the last two years of his high school career. He was ranked as the top-ranked Canadian prospect and No. 9 overall by 247Sports, No. 10 by On3.com, and No. 11 by Rivals.com in the class of 2025.
He averaged 21.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists during EYBL and was named Offensive MVP of the EYBL Indy Session, starring for UPlay Canada.{{cite web |title=Riley Signs with Illinois |url=https://fightingillini.com/news/2024/6/23/mens-basketball-riley-signs-with-illinois.aspx |website=University of Illinois Athletics |access-date=23 September 2024 |language=en |date=23 June 2024}}
He was named MVP of the 2024 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp during NBA All-Star weekend.{{cite web |title=Canadian Will Riley named MVP of BWB Global camp |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/news/canadian-will-riley-named-mvp-of-bwb-global-camp |website=FIBA.basketball |date=19 February 2024 |access-date=23 September 2024 |language=en}}
{{College Athlete Recruit Start|collapse=no|year=2024}}
{{College athlete recruit entry
| recruit = Will Riley
| position = F
| hometown = Kitchener, Ontario
| highschool = The Phelps School
| feet = 6
| inches = 8
| weight = 180
| 40 =
| commitdate = 6/23/24
| scout stars =
| rivals stars = 5
| 247 stars = 5
| espn rank =
| espn stars = 5
| grayshirt =
}}
{{College Athlete Recruit End
| 40 =
| year = 2024
| rivals ref title = 2024 Illinois Commits
| scout ref title = Men's Basketball Recruiting
| espn ref title = ESPN- Illinois Fighting Illini Men's Basketball Recruiting
| rivals school = illinois
| 247 school = illinois
| scout s =
| espn schoolid = 356
| scout overall =
| rivals overall = 11
| espn overall =
| 247 overall = 10
| accessdate =
| bball = yes
}}
College career
On June 23, 2024, Riley committed to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was originally part of the class of 2025 but reclassified to 2024 to join earlier. At the time of his signing, Riley was the highest-ranked recruit signed by Illinois in the internet era, surpassing Dee Brown from the class of 2002.
=Freshman season=
On Monday, November 11th, 2024, Riley was named the first Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the 2024-25 season. Riley's overall week (averaging 22.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game) in two Illinois wins, as well as his securing the Illini freshman scoring record, tipped the scales in his favor.{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college/illinois/basketball/will-riley-big-ten-freshman-of-the-week-illinois |title=Illinois Guard Will Riley Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week|date=11 November 2024 }} He went on to receive the award twice more.{{cite web|url=https://fightingillini.com/news/2025/2/10/mens-basketball-riley-nabs-third-b1g-freshman-of-the-week-accolade.aspx |title=Riley Nabs Third B1G Freshman of the Week Accolade |date=10 February 2025 }} Following the Big Ten regular season's conclusion, he was named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year.{{cite web|url=https://247sports.com/college/illinois/article/will-riley-big-ten-freshman-of-the-year-illinois-fighting-illini-basketball-246835400/ |title=Illini freshman Will Riley wins Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year }} He later declared for the 2025 NBA Draft.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/44673022/illinois-riley-projected-1st-rounder-enters-nba-draft |title=Illini's Riley, projected 1st-rounder, enters draft }}
Career statistics
{{NBA player statistics legend}}
=College=
Personal life
Riley's parents are named Ray and Tracy ({{nee|Hooks}}). His parents both played sports in high school. His dad ran track and his mom played hockey.{{cite web |title=Five-star small forward Will Riley planning June visits to Kentucky, Alabama |url=https://www.zagsblog.com/2024/05/20/five-star-small-forward-will-riley-planning-june-visits-to-kentucky-alabama/ |website=Zagsblog |access-date=23 September 2024 |date=20 May 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://fightingillini.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/will-riley/14574 Illinois Fighting Illini bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Will}}
Category:Canadian expatriate basketball people in the United States
Category:Canadian men's basketball players
Category:Sportspeople from Kitchener, Ontario