5-star Will Riley talks Kentucky after dropping 42 points in Indianapolis

Will Riley put on a show Friday night in Indianapolis. Suiting up for UPlay in the third session of the Nike EYBL circuit, the five-star wing dropped 42 points on 15-16 shooting in a dominant 100-60 win over Team Durant. Not only did he miss just a single shot, but he was perfect from beyond the arc (5-5) and the free throw line (7-7). He chipped in five assists for good measure.

“I was just feeling myself,” Riley said of his lights-out performance. “My team helped me get involved with it. It just felt like I couldn’t miss so I kept shooting.”

Afterward, Riley spoke with reporters to provide an update on his recruitment. Last time we spoke with the 6-foot-8 Canadian, he was looking to reschedule a previously canceled visit to Kentucky. While that trip to Lexington has still yet to be set up, the Wildcats (along with Alabama, Arkansas, and Arizona) will all receive visits sometime this summer. The NBL is also in the mix.

Along with head coach Mark Pope, assistant coach Jason Hart is also in talks with Riley, who’s ranked No. 9 overall by On3 in the 2025 recruiting class. They told him they plan to watch him this weekend, which they did on Saturday when UPlay took on a talented Oakland Soldiers group that featured AJ Dybantsa and Tryan Stokes — two of the top players from the 2025 and 2026 classes, respectively.

Kentucky’s Mark Pope and Jason Hart courtside for the best head-to-head player matchup of the day: AJ Dybantsa and Tyran Stokes vs. Will Riley

Three consensus top-10 prospects with UK interest pic.twitter.com/GqA1GWQBk9

— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) May 18, 2024

Riley couldn’t replicate his 42-point bomb from Friday night, but he still managed 19 points. Nothing came easy though, as she shot just 5-13 from the field and even appeared to suffer a minor injury down the stretch. After a competitive first half, UPlay lost 88-73.

Even still, it’s clear the Kentucky coaches are high on Riley, who added that he tries to model his game after the likes of Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic.

“(Kentucky has) just been saying they like my game, they like how I’m developing, playing with pace, playing positionless,” Riley said. “It’s good the way they’re recruiting me. They’re recruiting me not too much but they’re reaching out enough.”

As for a possible reclass to 2024 (which has been believed to be a real possibility for a while now), Riley remains tight-lipped on the subject.

“It’s on the table but I’ve just been keeping it on the down low so far, just seeing my options, trying to see what’s best for me.”