Why On3 is higher than the industry on 4-star SF Will Riley
Will Riley is an intriguing prospect. Here at On3, we are higher than the industry on the 6-foot-8, 180-pound wing out of Malvern (PA) The Phelps School ranking him as the No. 11 overall player in the 2025 On3 150.
On3 leaves nothing to question when we talk about the objective of our rankings. The goal of our rankings is to assess a prospect’s long-term potential, ultimately manifested by the NBA Draft. Our ranking is not to assess who had the best high school career or who will be the best college player. This is why we will shoot to end each cycle with 14 five-star prospects, following the lead of the NBA Draft Lottery. This can be very different from others, but our vision with rankings is draft night.
The Updated 2025 On3 150 Rankings
The 2025 On3 150 has Riley ranked No. 11. He is No. 50 for 247, No. 31 for Rivals, and No. 26 for ESPN. Riley comes in at No. 28 in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking. Criteria can be different across the industry when it comes to players and the order in which they are ranked. So let’s break down why On3 is higher on Will Riley than the industry.
Will Riley’s Unique Scoring Ability
It would be difficult to miss the fact that Will Riley can score the basketball. One quick look at a box score and you will see multiple 30-point games, with two’s, three’s, and one’s written down the line. At a fluid 6-foot-8, he accumulates numbers consistently.
However, to say that Riley has a quirky way of scoring would be an understatement. Riley’s feel in the mid-range is unlike many of his high school peers. He attacks the defense, gets two feet in the paint, and then has an array of step-throughs, up-and-unders, reverse pivots, and fade-aways to create an angle to get an open shot.
Of Riley’s 371 shot attempts this high school season, in 18 games, 77 percent of them have been from two-point range. Synergy says that 58.5 percent of Riley’s shots come off jump shots or runners. Almost 80 percent of those shots are off the bounce. Riley gets a lot of his offensive work done in the mid-range, which is somewhat of a throwback to the concepts that are being taught in basketball today
However, in staying with the modern analytics aspects, Riley is shooting 46.4 percent from three on 4.7 attempts per game. He is shooting 41.7 percent in catch-and-shoot threes and 48.9 percent in off-the-dribble threes this season.
The scoring is the exciting part of Riley’s game. Not only is he methodical and precise with how he goes about it, but he also consistently goes out to put up numbers.
The counting statistics support the eye test in that Will Riley can get buckets. However, the advanced analytics enhance the counting stats to show that Riley’s bag is deep.
Riley’s Physical Traits
Will Riley is listed at 6-foot-8. He has a flowing frame with broad shoulders. While I do not have exact measurements, the eye test suggests that Riley is not overly long. However, he does appear to have a plus wingspan.
What really sticks out about Riley’s physicality is his fluidity. He seems to move in a flowing manner, never really rushed but always getting to where he wants to go. Riley is comfortable on the ball. While we list him as a small forward, I would not be surprised if many considered him to be a shooting guard.
He will need to continue adding weight throughout his frame. He already has excellent balance, able to abruptly stop and change direction in traffic, but the added strength will help him throughout his game. While not an overly explosive athlete, he is a good athlete. Again, his fluidity, pace, and change of direction get him where he wants, and needs, to go on the floor and his footwork is very good.
Continued High-Level Production
I touched on Will Riley’s high school numbers from 18 games at the Phelps School/PA this season. Through 18 games, Riley is averaging 26.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game this season. He is scoring 1.06 points per possession while shooting 49.9 percent from the field and 46.4 percent from three.
While the scoring is high for Riley, so is the efficiency. As I pointed out above, Riley scores the ball from each level, and while he can knock down the catch-and-shoot jumpers, a lot of his buckets come from the pull-up variety, by stepping into them off the bounce.
Riley’s high school numbers this season are further backed by what he did on Nike’s EYBL E16 Circuit this summer with the UPlay Canada organization.
Through those 14 games, Riley averaged 21.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. Riley scored 1.04 points per possession while shooting 53.8 percent from the field.
Through his last 32 games charted by Synergy, Riley is averaging 25.0 points while scoring 1.05 points per possession and shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from three.
Projecting Riley’s game moving forward
A simple look at the positional size that Will Riley has, along with the consistent – and efficient – production he has maintained, you can see that the 6-foot-8 wing originally from Kitchener, Ontario has a future in basketball.
The highest levels of the game are offensively driven. Which makes a player’s ability to create offensive advantage extremely valuable in today’s game. Riley is able to create offensive opportunities.
Riley will need to continue adding strength. And while he may never be a top-tier-type defender, the added strength could be in line to help him be more consistent. The highest levels of basketball thrive with spacing, as he continues to progress in level, his ability to attack space off the bounce and pull up at multiple levels will become even more valuable.
While Riley is not a finished product, there are a lot of indicators in his game that are necessary to be able to play at the highest levels. At this stage, a junior in high school, he is already producing big numbers and he is continuing to show development.