Amid the buzz and excitement of the NBA All-Star 2024 festivities in Indianapolis, rising eighteen-year-old (February 10, 2006) Canadian basketball star Will Riley seized the spotlight, emerging as the MVP of the prestigious Basketball Without Borders Global camp.
Born in Cambridge, Ontario, and hailing from Kitchener, Ontario, the burgeoning six-foot-eight guard not only captured the attention of NBA team personnel but also garnered support, including his proud mother, Tracy Hooks-Riley, who embarked on an unexpected eight-hour car journey to witness her son’s triumph after a cancelled flight.
Following a demanding first day at the camp, Riley, playing with Team Pacers, showcased his distinctive scoring ability and versatility during live scrimmage games.
Leading his team to a flawless 3-0 start on the second day of the global camp, he sustained his stellar performance on the final day, sinking multiple threes and orchestrating plays to secure a semi-final victory against Team Timberwolves.
Capping off the weekend with an impeccable 5-0 record, Riley demonstrated his playmaking capabilities by delivering a well-timed alley-oop pass to his South Sudanese teammate Khaman Maluach, securing the decisive win over Team Pistons and adding another MVP accolade to his growing collection.
Will Riley, second Canadian to win Basketball Without Borders Camp MVP
Currently holding the title of top-ranked Canadian prospect in a stacked class of 2025, Riley’s journey into the spotlight began in 2018 when he gained notoriety as a key player for the Kitchener-Waterloo (KW) Vipers Elite U12 basketball program.
Under the guidance of coach Alex Urosevic, a former NCAA Division I player for the Stetson Hatters in the late 1980s and a U Sports bucket-getter with the Waterloo Warriors in the early 1990s, Riley’s potential started to shine.
The pinnacle of Riley’s early success with the KW U12 Vipers came in 2018 when they clinched the Canadian Youth Basketball League (CYBL) grade six championship. In the final game, Riley delivered a standout performance, scoring an impressive 29 points.
His leadership and court finesse propelled the team to a 71-60 victory over the Scarborough Blues, earning him both the MVP award and the national championship.
Following a brief tenure, splitting time as a junior on the 2021-22 senior team at London’s Southwest Academy Prep and being selected to the 2022 Biosteel Futures Boys Game, Riley continued to gain national recognition after two stellar summers on Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit with Canada’s UPLAY U15 team in 2022 and U16 team in 2023.
Averaging 21.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 31 minutes against notable players, including Kiyan Anthony and Cameron Boozer, he now refines his skills at The Phelps School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, where he has been since the summer of 2022.
His exceptional talent has garnered attention from high-profile collegiate programs, with offers from prestigious institutions such as Arizona, Villanova, Alabama, Illinois, and Oregon, underscoring the widespread acknowledgement of his potential impact at the NCAA Division I level.
Among the esteemed Canadian players who have left their mark on the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp, Riley now joins the ranks of elite Canadian NBA participants, including two-time All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, NBA champion Jamal Murray, and first-round picks RJ Barrett, Bennedict Mathurin, Joshua Primo, and Oliver-Maxence Prosper. Notably, Barrett is the only other Canadian to have secured the MVP award at the 2017 Global Camp.
Riley’s stellar performance transcends the basketball court. As part of the NBA combine-like tests, he underwent a series of anthropometric assessments, unveiling impressive measurements.
Standing at six-foot-eight with shoes, with a standing reach of 9 1/4 inches, hand length of 8’5″, hand width of 9″, a standing vertical jump of 26 inches, and a wingspan of 6’7″, Riley’s physical attributes underscore his burgeoning athletic metrics and future potential.
Experiencing a growth spurt similar to that of Minnesota Timberwolves’ six-foot-eleven Leonard Miller, Riley’s measurements compare favourably.
In comparison to Miller’s 2023 NBA Draft combine measurements, where he stood at 6’10” in shoes, with a standing reach of 8’10.50″, hand length 9.25″, hand width 10.50″, a standing vertical jump of 30 inches, and a wingspan of 7’2″, this side-by-side analysis highlights the impressive dimensions Riley brings to the court.
In a testament to the growing prominence of Canadian basketball talent, the 2024 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp saw a record-high representation, with four Canadians selected to participate.
Alongside Riley on the global stage, were Efeosa Oliogu, Spencer Ahrens, and Jaion Pitt. This remarkable achievement marks a historic high for Canadian representation at the prestigious camp, surpassing the three players selected in 2023, 2020, and 2018.
