The Illinois basketball program has some unique talent on the roster this season that has bloomed in front of our eyes.
A part of me yearns for the days of old when players would stick around for three or four seasons. Could you imagine what the Illini would look like in 2025-26 or even 2026-27?
One of the most fun parts of this season has been watching Will Riley mature and develop. His hard work and development of his game has paid off.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Big Ten released its awards from the 2024-25 season. Purdue’s Braden Smith won the Big Ten Player of the Year. Ace Baldwin from Penn State won the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Maryland’s Derik Queen was the Freshman of the Year in the Big Ten.
There was one more player award to be handed out, and that award is the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year. That award went to Riley.
At one point, who would have thought this was a possibility? Riley may have entered Illinois as a five-star recruit, but he was not playing like one early on. The game moved way too fast for him, and he couldn’t manage to get into a groove as Illinois was trying to mesh.
Once Riley started to get the college game down, everything started to come easier. He was able to get into the lane. His three-point shot got more dangerous. And the ability of Riley to get to the rim and finish became a legit threat.
Will Riley is going to be one of the engines that drives the Illinois basketball team in the postseason
If you have watched Illinois, you will know that Riley turned a corner somewhere in the middle of the 2024-25 campaign. This understanding of the college game is not only going to help him in front of NBA scouts, but it will also help propel the Illini to great heights.
In the middle of the Illini season, the program was hit with injury and illness. Kasparas Jakucionis got hurt. Tomislav Ivisic was hurt and had an illness. Morez Johnson Jr. had a broken wrist. I haven’t even included the illnesses of Tre White and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn.
Did Illinois go on a streak of 14 games that was less impressive with those players going through issues? Sure, but could you imagine what the team would look like without Riley on the floor during this stretch?
I would argue Riley has been the most crucial part of the team this season. Without Riley keeping the ship afloat, Illinois is probably on the outside looking in for the NCAA tournament. This kid was huge for the program, and my hope is that we have enough in the war chest to keep him around another season.