5-star Kentucky target Will Riley commits to Illinois

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Photo of Will Riley via University of Illinois Athletics

Mark Pope is still looking to land his first five-star high school recruit.

On Sunday, five-star small forward Will Riley announced his commitment to the Illinois Fighting Illini during a ceremony in Waterloo, Ontario. The 6-foot-9 native of Canada chose the Illini over the likes of Kentucky, Alabama, Arizona, and the New Zealand Breakers of the National Basketball League (NBL).

Riley is considered the No. 12 overall 2025 recruit by the On3 Industry Ranking. He was primarily recruited to Champaign by former UK assistant coach Orlando Antigua.

NEWS: 5⭐️ Will Riley, the No. 10 overall recruit in the 2025 class, has committed to Illinois, he tells @On3Recruits.

The 6-8 Small Forward also considered Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, and the NBL. https://t.co/3OhsLX4uhl pic.twitter.com/jvGUFAqZ1p
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 23, 2024

Soon after Pope was hired as the new head coach of Kentucky, Riley was one of the handful of high school prospects to quickly hear from the staff. John Calipari and the former coaching staff (led by Antigua) originally recruited Riley to UK, but Pope quickly transitioned that relationship and maintained contact. Riley included Kentucky in his updated Top 5 in late April — not even two weeks after Pope was officially hired — and immediately made efforts to get him on campus.

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Riley would officially visit a trio of schools in the first week of June. He stopped at Illinois first before making a trip to Kentucky and then Alabama. He also officially visited Arizona in March. The expectation is that Riley will ultimately reclassify to 2024 and play immediately this season.

Across 15 games played for UPlay on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring, Riley averaged 21.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 29.8 minutes per outing while shooting 49.6 percent overall, 31.7 percent from deep, and 79 percent from the line. His 42-point performance in Indianapolis was one of the best individual showings of the AAU season. He’s helped lead UPlay to a 9-6 record and a spot in July’s Peach Jam tournament.