Will Riley is ready to take his talents to the NBA.
The Canadian wing told ESPN on Monday that he will enter this year's NBA Draft after one NCAA season at Illinois. He is projected by ESPN as the No. 15 prospect in the draft.
Riley, from Kitchener, Ont. earned Big Ten sixth man of the year honours after averaging 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season.
One of his best games came in the first round of March Madness when he scored 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting in a win over Xavier. Illinois was eliminated in its next game against Kentucky.
"I learned a lot through the season," the six-foot-eight Riley, 19, told ESPN. "I faced a lot of adversity, which helped me. When I was younger, I had no idea what it was like on the American basketball scene. That transition from Canada was good for me. The biggest difference was the physicality. I put on 22 pounds before the start of the season. NBA teams saw my potential as a ball-handler and creator, my IQ, and my ability to make reads. These are things you can't teach. I got adjusted midway through the season and started to blossom."
Riley posted double figures in scoring in 13 of his last 15 games.
The draft is June 25-26 in New York.
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