London Riley is next up in our Unsigned Senior Feature series. The sharpshooting 6’3″ prospect from Discovery is one of the best outside marksmen available not just in Georgia, but in the entire Southeast. He waited his turn to be the go-to guy for the Titans and turned in a stellar senior campaign, winning Region POY in R6-7A.
I’ve talked about it before and so have many others; with the emphasis on and need for shooting, you would expect schools to be all over him. Riley has a pretty shot with soft touch, effortless range, and a consistent release. This winter, he showed other parts to his game with effective rebounding, defense, and athletic plays in transition.
Riley isn’t a gunner that takes a bunch of shots to get his points either. He let things come to him and allowed his other Discovery teammates shine while being the main focus on scouting reports and still shot close to 40% from beyond the arc in a very talented Gwinnett County region in Georgia’s highest classification. He should have more options on the table than he currently does.
London Riley Senior Highlights: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13815820/5e7bd9150c54160cdcd0aeb9
Stats & Accolades: 18.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 39% 3FG. Region Player Of The Year (Region 6-7A), GACA All-State (7A North).
Film Analysis (vs. Collins Hill on 1/3/20)
36 points, 15-20 FG, 4-7 3FG, 2-3 FT.
Our film viewing of Riley comes from Discovery’s road game against Collins Hill back in January, in which he set a school-record with 36 points. Discovery totaled 59 points as a team in this game. This outing from him was different than one may expect, as most of his scoring came from inside the arc.
Collins Hill’s pressing style led to some open-court opportunities throughout the game for Discovery. Riley took advantage of those after the Titans broke the CH press with numerous takes to the basket off of two feet. He was 5-6 on 2-points attempts in the 1st half, which included a few contact finishes, an offensive putback, and a nice floater off the dribble. With the open style of play and lack of size for Collins Hill, it was good to see Riley assert himself in the paint. He was selective with his 3-point shooting in both halves, going 2/4 from deep in the 1st half, and then 2/3 in the 2nd half.
Riley isn’t an advanced ball-handler, but he limited his mistakes against the pesky Collins Hill group by keeping things simple. After 2-3 dribbles, Riley would either give the ball up to a teammate, or had already gotten himself in good position for a shot. With guys flying at him on the 3-point line, Riley attacked closeouts pretty well and showed good touch around the basket after putting the ball on the deck. On each of the misses he had inside, he got his own rebound and converted on the 2nd opportunity.
Defensively, Discovery went zone most of the 2nd half, but you did get to see Riley defend on the ball some in the 1st half. He was matched up with a capable scorer in Jabiri Smith and did a solid job of containing him. Riley gets in a good defensive stance and moves his feet well once an opponent attacks. Rebounding is another area where Riley will chip in; he’s a good 2-foot leaper who elevates for rebounds with good timing and anticipation. He will have to bulk up in college to be able to guard physical wings and to rebound among bodies effectively, but he already does some good things in those areas.
Conclusion:
London Riley excels in the one area that college coaches talk about and claim to value the most- shooting. He has proven to be an exceptional perimeter shot-maker, he stays within himself, and he showed he can handle lots of attention from opposing teams & coaches this winter. The ability and potential he has on the defensive side of the ball should be very appealing to coaches at the next level also. He’s not just some stand-still shooter who will only help you by making 3’s. All in all, Riley’s performance this season warrants more college opportunities and he should have a solid college career.
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