Illinois basketball recruiting has gone up a notch. Five-star wing Will Riley committed to Illinois on Sunday, the 6-foot-8 Canadian forward announced on Sunday. Riley is currently ranked the No. 9 overall prospect in the Class of 2025, according to the 247Sports, and the No. 12 prospect in the Composite rankings. But the 18-year-old is expected to reclassify to the Class of 2024 and join Illinois this upcoming season.
- Riley chose Illinois over Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky and professional opportunities, among many other offers.
- Riley starred during the EYBL circuit this spring, averaging 22 points, five rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 32 percent from three and 79 percent at the free-throw line. In one game last month, Riley scored 42 points on 15-for-16 shooting.
- ESPN’s Jonathan Givony in February projected Riley as the No. 16 pick in his 2025 NBA mock draft.
Why it matters: With a 0.9955 Composite rating, Riley is the highest-ranked prep prospect Illinois has ever added during the Composite rankings era (since 2003). During the last 22 classes, the six highest-ranked prep prospects Illinois has landed have all come during Brad Underwood’s tenure: Riley, Morez Johnson (0.9898), Ayo Dosunmu (0.9888), Adam Miller (0.9884), Skyy Clark (0.9880) and Jeremiah Fears (0.9871).
Scouting report: “Riley’s ascent stems from a strong spring and summer with UPlay Canada on the Nike EYBL Circuit,” 247Sports’ Travis Branham recently wrote. “What stands out about Riley more than anything is his size, length and athleticism. He is a versatile guard who can dribble, pass, and shoot. Riley possess plenty of untapped potential. The Canadian demonstrates prowess as a three-level scorer and playmaker against elite high school competition. He’s still very thin, so as he gets into the weight room, adds muscle, and gets stronger, his play on the court will only continue to elevate.”
How he fits: Riley continues the Illini’s offseason of prioritizing scoring ability with positional size. While Arizona guard Kylan Boswell and Lithuanian guard Kasparas Jakucionis project as the Illini’s starting backcourt, Riley joins an intense competition on the wing that also includes Louisville transfer Tre White and returning starter Ty Rodgers. White is a proven double-digit high-major scorer, and Rodgers started for a team that won 29 games and advanced to the Elite Eight. But Riley has next-level talent and scoring ability, so he has a real chance to earn a big role, but he has the versatility to play two through four, so he only adds to the Illini’s versatility and competition. The Illini are loaded with talent and that probably means someone won’t be happy with their playing time, but Illinois clearly thinks Riley’s talent brings far more upside to the 2024-25 roster than any potential issues.
What it means: While the transfer portal gets most of the attention nowadays, don’t overlook that Brad Underwood and his staff are bringing in better prep talent than this program has landed in more than two decades. Riley, Johnson and Fears are all significant national recruiting wins. Riley has the potential to be a first-round draft pick within a year. Johnson and Fears were two of 12 players on the USA Basketball U18 team who won a gold medal earlier this month at the FIBA AmeriCup in Buenos Aires (Argentina). In addition, Jakucionis and Croatian big man Tomislav Ivisic were significant European recruiting wins. The Illini, who have a top-20 transfer class as well, are recruiting like a top-tier national program.
Go VIP for 30% OFF your first year!: Join the No. 1 source on Illinois athletics and recruiting with our latest great offer! Get market-leading, professional coverage of Illini sports for 30% OFF your first year! That’s just $6.27 per month for your first year of VIP membership, more than $40 of savings for the most comprehensive coverage of your favorite teams! There is no promo code required for the offer, just HIT THIS LINK, sign up for the annual membership and you’re good to go!
