Another highly touted Canadian is on his way to the NBA.
Illinois forward Will Riley became the first Canadian to be picked at the 2025 NBA Draft after being selected 21st overall by the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
The Kitchener, Ont. native is one of the younger players in this class after reclassifying to join the NCAA ranks a year early. He showed some of that inexperience in an up-and-down year for the Fighting Illini.
Riley averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 43.2 per cent from the field and 32.6 per cent from three-point range. For the most part, he came off the bench for Illinois, making only two starts in the team’s first 28 games, but started their last seven games, including both outings at March Madness.
The 19-year-old seemed to find his form in the latter half of the season, averaging 15.6 points in eight games in February and 16.3 over six games in March. His most impressive collegiate outing came in his debut when Riley finished with 31 points — a Fighting Illini record — on 10-of-13 shooting (5-of-6 from distance) and seven rebounds in 25 minutes.
Despite hearing his name called in the first round of the Draft, he’s widely regarded as a project heading into his first year in the league because of his age and raw talent.
Riley is the 38th Canadian chosen since the draft went to two rounds in 1989 and is the second player from Illinois to go in the first round this year after guard Kasparas Jakucionis went 20th overall to the Miami Heat.
