FEBRUARY 11 • SI.COM
WILL RILEY #7 - FORWARD - ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI
12.5 PPG •
4.1 RPG •
2.3 APG
12.5 PPG
4.1 RPG
2.3 APG
Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings: Illinois Stuck, Even With Will Riley Rolling The Illini begin a monster stretch Tuesday in Champaign against soaring UCLA
Will Riley and Kasparas Jakucionis key resurgence for No. 23 Illinois in 95-74 romp past Minnesota
Will Riley had 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists off the bench and Kasparas Jakucionis had 24 points to help No. 23 Illinois get back on track with a 95-74 victory over Mi...FEBRUARY 9 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
No. 23 Illinois takes on Rutgers after Riley's 24-point outing
No. 23 Illinois visits the Rutgers Scarlet Knights after Will Riley scored 24 points in the Fighting Illini's 87-79 win against the Ohio State BuckeyesFEBRUARY 4 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Highest total of Big Ten play Riley had 24 points (7-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 9-12 FT), three rebounds and one assist in 29 minutes during Sunday's 87-79 win over Ohio State.
Impact Riley needed 16 shots to record 16 points Thursday against Nebraska, but he was far more efficient here, especially with his ability to get to the foul line. His previous season best in free throw attempts was nine, set all the way back on Dec. 14 against Tennessee. Riley's production has been hit-or-miss in his freshman season, as he was averaging just 6.4 ppg across eight contests to begin the 2025 calendar year. He showed Sunday that he can still be a major contributor when given the right matchup.
FEBRUARY 3 • ROTOWIRE
Will Riley scores 24, No. 18 Illinois mounts late comeback to beat Ohio State basketball, 87-79 Illinois’ bench outscored Ohio State’s bench 43-4.
FEBRUARY 3 • CLEVELAND.COM
Grades are in: Another monster half from Will Riley Illinois freshman forward continues to show flashes of dominance in Big Ten play
FEBRUARY 2 • NEWS-GAZETTE.COM
Will Riley scores 24, No. 18 Illinois mounts late comeback to beat Ohio State 87-79
Will Riley scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half and No. 18 Illinois rallied from an 11-point deficit to beat Ohio State 87-79FEBRUARY 2 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Quiet in Thursday's loss Riley (illness) totaled zero points (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and three assists across 16 minutes during Thursday's 91-70 loss to Maryland.
Impact Riley, who was listed as questionable prior to the game due to an illness, had a quiet outing in Thursday's blowout loss. He failed to score in his 16 minutes off the bench, although he did provide three assists. It was an especially disappointing outing considering he scored 19 points Sunday versus Michigan State. He will look to bounce back versus Northwestern on Sunday.
JANUARY 23 • ROTOWIRE
Warming up Thursday Riley (illness) is warming up ahead of Thursday's game versus Maryland, Jeremy Werner of 247Sports.com reports.
Impact Riley, who is officially listed as questionable with an illness, is taking part in early warmups Thursday. It's certainly a good sign for his availability but it does not gurantee he will play. The freshman is averaging 11.0 points and 3.7 rebounds through 21.7 minutes per game, the vast majority of which have come off the bench.
JANUARY 23 • ROTOWIRE
Listed as questionable Riley (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Thursday night's clash with Maryland.
Impact Riley is coming off an excellent performance despite the loss to Michigan State, scoring 19 points and collecting six rebounds. The freshman is now in danger of missing his first game with an undisclosed issue. Averaging 21.7 minutes, Riley has quickly become a critical piece of the Illini front court.
JANUARY 23 • ROTOWIRE
Keeps Illini within reach Riley finished with 19 points (7-17 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 3-6 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one block over 26 minutes during Sunday's 80-78 loss to Michigan State.
Impact Riley started two games for the Illini while Kasparas Jakucionis was sidelined by a forearm injury, logging seven points apiece in those outings. Jakucionis has since returned, though he was limited to just nine minutes in the contest due to foul trouble, paving the way for Riley to match his second-best scoring total of the year. Riley continues to have a quality freshman season, averaging 11.0 ppg in a sixth-man role, but his ceiling for the rest of the 2024-25 season is limited if Jakucionis is healthy, which is presumed to be the case moving forward.
JANUARY 21 • ROTOWIRE
Promoted to starting role Riley is in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against Penn State, Jeremy Werner of 247Sports.com reports.
Impact Riley will move to the first unit due to the absence of Kasparas Jakucionis (forearm). Riley has yet to start this season, but he's still scored in double digits in eight of his 14 appearances in 2024-25.
JANUARY 8 • ROTOWIRE
Inefficient in loss Riley had 10 points (1-9 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 8-9 FT) and five rebounds over 20 minutes during Saturday's 66-64 loss to Tennessee.
Impact Riley struggled from the field during Saturday's loss against the Volunteers, converting on just 1-of-9 shot attempts in the contest. The 6-foot-8 freshman has been in a bit of a shooting slump as of late, averaging just eight points off the bench across the Fighting Illini's last four games on a 26.5/5.9/72.2 shooting line. Riley, who is still shooting 37.5 percent from three on the season despite his recent struggles (4.8 attempts per game), will look to get out of his slump against Missouri on Sunday.
DECEMBER 17, 2024 • ROTOWIRE
Scores 12 off the bench Riley accumulated 12 points (4-12 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 4-6 FT), three rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes during Friday's 70-66 OT loss to Northwestern.
Impact Riley converted on just 4-of-12 shots from the field, contributing 12 points, three rebounds and two assists during Friday's loss against the Wildcats. In a night where the Fighting Illini really struggled to shoot the ball, Riley notched the third-highest point total for the team against in-state rival Northwestern. The 6-foot-8 freshman has averaged 15 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists on an average of 26 minutes per game off the bench, and he will look to rebound from the field against Wisconsin on Tuesday.
DECEMBER 9, 2024 • ROTOWIRE
Scores 19 in lopsided game Riley finished Saturday's 87-40 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore with 19 points (7-11 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds, one assist and one block over 19 minutes.
Impact Riley cashed in on 7-of-11 attempts from the field, closing with 19 points, three rebounds, an assist and a block against the Hawks on Saturday. The 6-foot-8 freshman has provided the Fighting Illini with a boost off the bench this season, averaging 18 points, six rebounds, two assists and 0.6 blocks on 25 minutes per game. The freshman forward will look to continue playing himself into a larger role with Illinois.
NOVEMBER 25, 2024 • ROTOWIRE
Will Riley's 19 points in the 2nd half leads No. 25 Illinois past Maryland Eastern Shore 87-40
Will Riley scored his 19 points in the second half and No. 25 Illinois beat Maryland Eastern Shore 87-40 on SaturdayNOVEMBER 23, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Big game off the bench Riley chipped in 18 points (6-12 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 3-7 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and one steal across 29 minutes during Wednesday's 100-87 loss to Alabama.
Impact Riley has been incredibly productive off the bench for the Fighting Illini to start his collegiate career, averaging 17.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.5 blocks on 26.5 minutes per game (four games). A strong outing against a big-time opponent is a great sign for the future prospects of the 6-foot-8 freshman.
NOVEMBER 22, 2024 • ROTOWIRE
Will Riley nabs first Big Ten honor Stellar debut helps Illini earn Freshman of the Week award
NOVEMBER 11, 2024 • NEWS-GAZETTE.COM
NBA Draft: Record-Setting Games in Three Freshmen Debuts After the first day of the regular season in college basketball, our first look at top-tier freshmen did not disappoint. Three extremely int...
NOVEMBER 5, 2024 • SI.COM
Will Riley shows off scoring gift in Illinois debut Freshman's heater in season-opening win has been a regular occurrence in practice since he arrived in Champaign
NOVEMBER 5, 2024 • NEWS-GAZETTE.COM
Will Riley drops 31 in Illinois debut, Illini beat E. Illinois 112-67 Highly touted freshman forward Will Riley scored 31 points off the bench in his college debut and sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn added a...
NOVEMBER 5, 2024 • KANSASCITY.COM
Will Riley's 31 points are the most by an Illinois freshman in their debut
Will Riley scored 26 of his 31 points in the second half to set an Illinois scoring record in a freshman debut and the Illini eased by Eastern Illinois 112-67NOVEMBER 5, 2024 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Catches fire in rout Riley posted 31 points (10-13 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 6-7 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and one block over 25 minutes during Monday's 112-67 win over Eastern Illinois.
Impact Riley converted on 10-of-13 shots, closing with a whopping 31 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one block in his collegiate debut. The 6-foot-8 freshman was expected to be an impact player early on for the Fighting Illini as a five-star recruit out of high school, but this level of dominance was surely unexpected. Riley will look to stay hot in a matchup with SIU-Edwardsville on Friday.
NOVEMBER 4, 2024 • ROTOWIRE
