Kansas Jayhawks: Basketball Recruiting Index

Cody Riley – Phoenix Family – Nike EYBL

#30 Overall, #9 Power Forward

Another popular name among Kansas sites, Cody Riley has long been linked to the Jayhawks because of his ties to the area. He’s originally from Kansas, but currently lives in Los Angeles. He also previously teamed up with Deandre Ayton on the Under Armour Association circuit last year.

What’s his game like?

Riley is a thick, strong power forward that plays best around the rim. The lefty has shown some signs of a developing jumper, but so far he has failed to consistently use it in games. His offense is limited to basic left-hand hooks and overpowering smaller defenders – something that won’t translate well at his size to the next level.

Defensively, Riley is a good shotblocker, but doesn’t quite have the size or athleticism to be an elite defensive player. He has good length (6’11” wingspan), but doesn’t have the best timing when going for blocks.

One of the major issues for Riley has been his lack of progression. Riley was widely considered the best prospect in his class at a young age, but he has failed to keep up with his peers. The story is similar to Perry Ellis’, but Ellis was able to vastly improve his ball skills by his senior year of high school – something we’ve seen no sign of with Riley. Had Riley not been ranked so high at a young age, we feel like he’d be ranked quite a bit lower than he is now.

Rumor Central

Again, like with Billy Preston, Kansas isn’t terribly involved here anymore despite claims elsewhere. They cooled on him some time ago when it became pretty clear that his game was not continuing to improve. We expect he will commit to UCLA sooner rather than later.

Next: Jarred Vanderbilt