Last week, 2025 small forward Will Riley took official visits to Illinois, Kentucky, and Alabama. With those wrapped up, in addition to a trip to Arizona back in March, Riley is revising his list as his recruitment nears an end.
Monday night, Riley released a new top five of Alabama, Arizona, Illinois, Kentucky, and the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL. The Fighting Illini replaced Arkansas, which was the lone team in his initial top five not to receive an official visit. The switch makes more sense considering Orlando Antigua was Riley’s main recruiter at Kentucky. When John Calipari left for Arkansas, Antigua decided to return to Illinois instead of following him to Fayetteville.
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Riley is also still mulling whether to stay in the 2025 class or move up to 2024. This summer, the 6’9″ wing from Kitchener, Ontario is averaging 21.9 points and 4.7 rebounds through 15 games on the EYBL circuit. While Kentucky would take him in either class, the Cats have one more scholarship remaining for next season, and Riley could be the perfect option if he decides he’s ready to play college basketball now.
Where does Kentucky stand in Riley’s recruitment? This morning, On3’s Jamie Shaw shared the latest following last week’s official visits. You can (and should) read the entire update if you’re a KSR+ member, but I will share that while Shaw heard Kentucky was in a good position following last week’s official visit, his trip to Illinois also went very well. A decision could come before the Peach Jam in July, possibly even before the end of the month.
If you’re a KSR+ member, you can also read Jacob Polacheck’s interview with Riley’s high school coach Trey Morin, which included some great tidbits about Riley the player and person.
“He just has a rare ability to score from a lot of different angles,” Morin said. “A lot of people talk about three-level scoring, but he can truly do it. He can catch and shoot from three, he can catch off the dribble, and he’s really, really good in the midrange. He’s really good at the six to eight-foot push shots, he’s a good finisher, and he’s going to continue to improve his finishing as he gets stronger.”
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