Will Riley commits to Illinois

The Kentucky Wildcats have received some bad news on the recruiting trail this offseason.

After an overall successful offseason by Mark Pope and his new coaching staff, they had a chance to reel in their first big high school recruiting win of the new era, but unfortunately, it will be a miss.

On Sunday, 5-star wing Will Riley committed to the Illinois Fighting Illini. Riley chose the Illini over Kentucky, Alabama, Arizona, and the New Zealand Breakers (NBL).

Riley, a 6-foot-8 and 180-pound small forward from Malvern (PA), recently visited three of his finalists in UK, Alabama, and Illinois. It appears the Cats made a great impression on the talented wing, but with a reclass to 2024 also happening, the path to playing time and a plethora of shots is clearer in Champaign.

Now, the new UK coaching staff will turn its attention to other options to fill out the roster for the 2024-25 season. They will also look to land their first major high school recruit in the 2025 class.

Who will it be? We will just have to wait it out.