Illinois' Brad Underwood Ready To Start Working On Lone Weakness For Will Riley

There a few flaws in Illinois incoming freshman Will Riley's game.

He can do just about everything on the basketball court in an exceptional manner. While he has no major weaknesses on the court, the Illini realize there is one area Riley needs to improve.

At 6-foot-8 and 180 pounds, Riley will never be mistaken for LeBron James. So the plan is to bulk him up some before the season starts.

"Everybody wants to say he's thin," Underwood said. "Some of that's probably true. But, boy, he's a very good athlete ...He's a guy that, whatever the time frame is, one year, two years, whatever it is, will be a very long-time pro if he has the ability to stay healthy."

Riley is considered a one-and-done type talent. The Illini just want to enjoy him while they can. Underwood said strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher is in charge of getting Riley physically ready to compete in the Big Ten conference.

Illinois has one of the best programs in that department. Riley, who reclassified for the 2024 class, is expected on campus sometime this summer. That should give him plenty time to work with Fletcher.

"It was just a great fit," Underwood said. "I think in terms of what we were looking for, he's a very, very talented offensive player. He's a young man who scores at all three levels. I would say the definition of position-less is him. He's shown that he can be an elite playmaker, shooter off the bounce, finisher."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com