The annual countdown to the Iowa Hawkeyes basketball season continues with the former walk-on: Riley Till!
Previously:
55: Luka Garza
51: Aidan Vanderloo
35: Cordell Pemsl
30: Connor McCaffery
24: Nico Hobbs
22: Pat McCaffery
Riley Till
Forward, 6’7”, 200 lbs
Junior, Dubuque, IA (Wahlert)
Nicholas Baer set the gold standard for Iowa Hawkeye walk-ons. He found a lane and became a vital component over his five-year career. With his departure, it opens that spot for another wing to provide tons of energy off the bench, largely backing up Joe Wieskamp.
One clear option was Thursday’s player - Pat McCaffery. He’s a high ceiling guy, especially if he is able to bear the brunt of Big Ten basketball.
The other who sticks out is Till.
His career thus far has been essentially garbage time player but was leaned on in two tight situations against Division 1 opponents. The first was a six-minute stretch in the first half against Oregon when Iowa was dealing with foul trouble and he kept three offensive possessions alive with rebounds on that side of the floor. He was also a bit of a pest on the defensive end. The second was a shorter stint against Penn State where he notched a bucket. Other than that, he notched a career-high 10 points against Savannah State.
In the offseason, he was rewarded with a scholarship for this season. Will it be followed with an increase in playing time?
And oh yeah, here’s his high school dunk highlights: