5 big observations from the Illinois basketball win over Oakland

5. I am impressed with Will Riley’s skill level

It is okay to say that a lot of Illinois basketball players had bad games. This wasn’t a great showing for anyone but Tomislav Ivisic. That includes our freshman sensation, Will Riley.

Riley had a bad game. He played 28 minutes off the bench and dropped eight points, four rebounds, two assists, and one block. He also had two fouls and a turnover on the night.

That stat line isn’t bad for an okay player off the bench, but Riley is much better than just an okay player. He is a superstar. Riley was just 2-of-8 from the field against the Golden Grizzlies. This kid is a much better shooter than 25% from the field.

Even with the struggles offensively, I watch Riley and think to myself this kid is special. He can go 2-of-8, but the ability to get his own shot is incredible. At 6-foot-8, he can take anyone off the dribble. His handles are incredible.

Riley can create so much space with his dribble and body too. He doesn’t need an offensive set to get an open shot. He can drive to both sides of the basket and hit shots from anywhere on the court. The NBA drools over players like Riley, and as time goes on, this kid will continue to hone his talent on the court.

While Riley looked like a freshman on Wednesday night, every time he has the ball I am impressed. He will get better with time, and the first-round draft projection he currently has will come true at season’s end.