Wizards’ Will Riley reveals how he’ll dominate with Tre Johnson

“I feel like it’s a very physical league with a lot of older guys, so it prepared me in that way,” he said. “It’s a very fast-paced league as well, and I feel like a lot of NBA teams play fast, so it helps with that transition.”

Riley averaged 12.6 points on 43.2 percent shooting (32.6 percent 3 PT) with 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 25.6 minutes this past season for the Fighting Illini. The 6-foot-8-inch, 190-pounder has a penchant for difficult shot-making and athletic finishing, which should help a Washington team that finished last in offensive rating in the 2024-25 campaign.

One of the best aspects about the Wizards’ new draft class is that both of the first-rounders can help the offense in different areas of the court. They picked guard Tre Johnson out of Texas No. 6 overall, who was the SEC Freshman of the Year after shooting 39.7 percent from deep for the Longhorns. Pairing a lights-out shooter in the backcourt with a shot-creating frontcourt player should male the young core more versatile.

“He’s a great guard,” Riley said about Johnson. “He can create his own shot very well. Super great guy, we’ve talked a few times. Super excited to play with him.”

Between Riley’s experience with fast-paced ball and his mutual scoring ability with Johnson, there are multiple factors that can help the two find success together in Washington.

Will Riley brings unique athletic experience to Wizards

Before Riley helped Illinois get to the second round of the NCAA Tournament this past season, he was a multi-sport youth athlete. The native Canadian was a high jumper and soccer player, which he opened up about in Washington’s introductory rookie press conference on Saturday.

“I feel like with high jump, there are a lot of technicalities to it in a lot of ways. You gotta be quick off your feet, you gotta come at an angle, jump off one foot, so I feel like that comes in in a lot of ways with basketball,” he said. “Also with soccer, I was a goalkeeper, a lot of hand-eye coordination, and you gotta stay sharp in all your positions.”

Riley is still a raw product, as his rebounding and defense are not yet up to par (the 19-year-old had a 107.5 defensive rating with Illinois, and the best players were under 100). However, the former five-star recruit’s athletic background shows that he can learn those skills with time, as he has the versatility to navigate different sports. The high-jumping experience should specifically help with rebounding, as hops are vital to getting boards. The key to his development will be practicing fundamentals like timing and box-outs.

Next up for Riley, Johnson, and second-round pick Jamir Watkins is the Wizards’ five-game Summer League slate starting on July 11, via NBA.com. This will give the new draftees their first chance to play with other members of Washington’s young core, such as Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George. The results won’t show if they’ll have successful careers, but they will give the organization and fans initial clues on how these players will mesh.