Charleston Basketball: Grant Riller set to become national star for 2019-20

Grant Riller has been a great player for Charleston Basketball the past three seasons. As a senior, he has the stage all to himself to become the top scorer in the country.

Last season was overall successful for Charleston Basketball. The program won 24 total games and went 12-6 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They had several big wins in the non-conference, including those against VCU, Memphis and Rhode Island. It was done primarily on the backs of Jarrell Brantley and Grant Riller, the team’s lone double-digit scorers.

But with Brantley graduating and getting selected in the 2019 NBA Draft, Riller becomes the last man standing. He’s been a starter for the Cougars the past three seasons, part of a lethal trio of scorers along with both Brantley and Joe Chealey, who averaged 18 ppg as a senior for the 2017-18 season.

Riller was a factor with the program literally from day one, scoring 21 points in his college debut in a win over The Citadel. He dropped 30 as a freshman in a road victory over Drexel later on in the season. The 6’3 guard upped his average to 18.6 ppg as a sophomore to lead the team on an impressive 55% shooting from the field and 39% from three-point range.

But with Chealey gone, Riller had to transition to becoming an all-around playmaker, distributing the ball to others while still scoring at a high level. He did just that this past season, leading Charleston Basketball with 21.9 ppg and 4.1 apg on 54% shooting. He and Brantley formed a great 1-2 punch to keep the Cougars among the best in the CAA.

Riller has been around teammates just as great as him in the past but not he stands alone. And with the extra spotlight comes expectations and national recognition. Independent college basketball analyst and founder of the website “CBB Central Kevin Sweeney recently compiled a ranking of the top mid-major point guards in the country for next season. Riller was ranked No. 1 overall, ahead of outstanding players such as Jordan Ford of Saint Mary’s and Jalen Pickett of Siena.

It’s the rightful spot for a player who has been not only great but consistently great throughout his 101 career games. Riller has shown that he can not only score but dish it out as well, at an incredibly efficient rate. Like his teammate Brantley, don’t be surprised to see the All-CAA guard put himself in a position to get drafted next year.

The mid-major world lost two scoring giants in Mike Daum and Chris Clemons. Riller is a great candidate to be one of the more notable scorers among the smaller leagues and play well enough to win CAA Player of the Year and carry the team back to the NCAA Tournament. With no other star player joining him for next season, it’s all on Riller now.