How Will Riley Rescued His Freshman Season to Become Illinois' Shining Star

There are worse things than weathering the waves of an up-and-down basketball season, but Illinois freshman forward Will Riley has taken the experience to almost unprecedented extremes.

Blowing up for 31 points in his debut, Riley then had a come-down (eight points) against Oakland in Game 3. Soon, it was anyone's guess what he might contribute on a given night. Eighteen against Alabama. Five against Arkansas.

The low point came just before Christmas – three points against Missouri – until ... Riley dipped lower: A humbling single-digit-scoring stretch over five games. Then came a 19-point binge in a near-upset of Michigan State in East Lansing, in a nationally televised game. Riley unlocked a new level.

And then he lost the key. Or, rather, it was taken from him when the infamous flu bug got its pincers into the Illini. After the Spartans game, an under-the-weather Riley was held scoreless over 17 minutes against Maryland, then had four points on 2-for-9 shooting against Northwestern. Rock bottom.

"My mindset wasn't right throughout that little gap," Riley said Friday. "I was just playing with my head down."

That assessment came immediately after Illinois' 86-73 first-round NCAA Tournament win over Xavier, in which Riley led the Illini (22-12) with 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting. It was a much different performance than his ready-shoot-aim debut – measured, more mature.

Relatively quietly, the 6-foot-8 Riley has in recent weeks displayed a new wrinkle in his game: consistency. He has averaged 16.7 points over the past 14 games, scoring in double digits in all but one of them. During that stretch, he is shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 36.1 percent on threes. His improved vision and anticipation show in his assists average over that same period (3.1). Riley's wild swings are down, his numbers are up, and his self-assurance in the college game is at an all-time high.

"Honestly, I feel like it's definitely a big confidence thing, coming into it," Riley said.

"And now I know my role. I know what coach wants from me, and I just establish that and I play the way that these guys want me to."

Coach Brad Underwood recognizes Riley's progress along with everyone else who has a pair of eyes – yet his view of it comes from the vantage point of the other side of the court.

"That's where his growth has been," Underwood told a reporter in Friday's post-Xavier press conference. "The first day that he got here, I'm not sure he could guard you, in all honesty. And now he's a guy that's using his length. He's playing without fear. Had a couple of great blocks and he's anticipating better. He's understanding scouting reports better. All of that stuff is just growth."

The sixth-seeded Illini are counting on it as they and Riley prepare to square off against third-seeded Kentucky in Sunday's second-round matchup (4:15 p.m. CT, on CBS) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

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