Rising basketball star, Will Riley, in his hometown of Kitchener, Ont. in 2024. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV Kitchener)
A basketball player from Kitchener, Ont. is headed to the big league.
Will Riley, 19, was selected 21st overall in the first round by the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
But he won’t play for the team, as he was traded shortly after to the Washington Wizards.
Riley attended both Grand River Collegiate Institute in Kitchener and Preston High School in Cambridge. He also played with the K-W Vipers basketball club.
Will Riley in a photo shared by the Washington Wizards. (Source: @WashWizards/X)
The 6-foot-8 forward then moved the Phelps School in Malvern, Pennsylvania where he was flagged as a standout on the hardwood.
In early 2024, the then 18-year-old was named MVP out of the 40 best high school players in the world, outside of the United States. That announcement was made during the NBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis.
Riley then moved on to the NCAA and the University of Illinois, where he played one season for the Illinois Fighting Illini. During those 35 matches, he averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Will Riley in a photo shared by the Washington Wizards. (Source: @WashWizards/X)
Riley is only the 22nd Canadian since 2011 to be drafted by the NBA in the first round.
He is also the second basketball player from Kitchener to play for the league.
Jamal Murray was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2016 and still plays for the team. Like Riley, he is also a former student of Grand River Collegiate Institute.