Will Riley
| No. 7 – Illinois Fighting Illini | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | Big Ten Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 10, 2006 Kitchener, Ontario, Canada |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8.25 in (2.04 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | The Phelps School (Malvern, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Illinois (2024–present) |
| Career highlights | |
| |
William Riley (born February 10, 2006) is a Canadian college basketball player for the Illinois Fighting Illini of the Big Ten Conference.
High school career
[edit]Riley attended high school at Southwest Academy Prep in London, Ontario with brief stops at Preston High School and Grand River Collegiate Institute.[1] 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.[2]
He was named MVP of the 2024 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp during NBA All-Star weekend.[3]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Riley F |
Kitchener, Ontario | The Phelps School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jun 23, 2024 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports: On3: ESPN:
| ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 11 247Sports: 10 On3: 20 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
College career
[edit]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.[2]
Freshman season
[edit]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.[4] He went on to receive the award twice more.[5] Following the Big Ten regular season's conclusion, he was named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year.[6] He later declared for the 2025 NBA Draft.[7]
Career statistics
[edit]| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Illinois | 35 | 9 | 25.7 | .432 | .326 | .724 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 12.6 |
Personal life
[edit]Riley's parents are named Ray and Tracy (née Hooks).[1] His parents both played sports in high school. His dad ran track and his mom played hockey.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Bryson, Mark (2 March 2024). "Kitchener's Will Riley hot in pursuit of NBA dream". The Record. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Riley Signs with Illinois". University of Illinois Athletics. 23 June 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ "Canadian Will Riley named MVP of BWB Global camp". FIBA.basketball. 19 February 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ "Illinois Guard Will Riley Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week". 11 November 2024.
- ^ "Riley Nabs Third B1G Freshman of the Week Accolade". 10 February 2025.
- ^ "Illini freshman Will Riley wins Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year".
- ^ "Illini's Riley, projected 1st-rounder, enters draft".
- ^ "Five-star small forward Will Riley planning June visits to Kentucky, Alabama". Zagsblog. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.