There's No Place Like Home and Family For Riller
11/23/2019 10:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NICK VLATTAS
CofCSports.com
College of Charleston fifth-year senior guard Grant Riller is eager to return to his native Orlando, Fla., and the opportunity to combine his two lifelong loves: family and basketball.
As the Cougars prepare for a clash with UCF, Riller will have to balance the usual game preparation with the added emotion and excitement of returning home to play in front of his hometown crowd for the final time—at least in a Cougar uniform, that is.
As CofC fans have witnessed in the past, Riller is up to that task.
Riller was raised in a bustling home where he was always surrounded by love, perpetually sharing space with his parents (Marcus and Bonny), his three siblings (Denzel, Aleyah and Gabby), extended family members, neighbors, and friends—and he wouldn't have had it any other way.
From an early age, he was rarely seen around his western Orlando community without a basketball in hand—that is unless, of course, it'd just left his fingertips on its way to the bottom of the basket.
"I'm extremely thankful that I didn't have to worry about much growing up," said Riller, who is majoring in sociology and will graduate in May from The College. "My parents worked hard at their profession, I was surrounded by love, and all I had to worry about was basketball and school."
Riller did play other sports as a child—like baseball, which he also excelled at—but as he grew older, basketball cast a shadow on his other interests, until baseball and his other pastimes faded away completely.
By the time he reached middle school, Riller was a one-sport athlete dedicated to growing his game. Always self-motivated to improve, Riller knew he had hidden potential as he progressed through the various youth competitive levels.
He was dominant in his early days on recreational courts, but was humbled as he broke into the local AAU scene and was introduced to fiercer competition. He was not deterred, however, and continued to cultivate his game any way he could.
"I was never concerned with stats or playing time or anything like that," he said. "I just wanted to be around the game, get better, and play whatever role needed to be played which would help my team win."
His dedication to self-improvement manifested itself throughout his middle school and early AAU days, to the point that Riller was prepared to try out for the Ocoee High School varsity team as freshman, undiscouraged by being the only one.
"I was in the gym with all the varsity guys, while all the other freshmen were out practicing on the outside courts," Riller described. "I wasn't mature enough to understand the spot I was in, so I was talking and running my mouth during practice, and my high school coach kicked me out of the gym in front of everyone and told me to go outside with JV.
"That's something that's motivated me and I'm thankful for, because we have a great relationship to this day. I think it's something that gave me a wakeup call, and a sense of basketball being something I have to take seriously if I want to get good at it."
From there, Riller did take it seriously, and he did get good at it.
Riller elevated his game throughout his time at Ocoee, but still didn't think college basketball—let alone Division I—was in his future, as he was only playing in local AAU leagues which didn't attract college coaches.
That changed, however, as he gained some notoriety once given a chance to shine in the summer of 2014 (following his junior year of high school). He played his way to an AAU All-Star tournament in Philadelphia which was widely attended by big-time college coaches, and he didn't let the opportunity pass him by.
"Getting on that circuit in my last summer of AAU really launched my career," recounts Riller. "I knew I only had one shot at it, so I wanted to focus on playing my game and developing relationships with coaches along the way. I wanted them to see me for the person I was."
One such relationship was with then-soon-to-be College of Charleston Head Coach Earl Grant, and the two struck an immediate bond—the type you build a program on.
Riller entertained other D-I offers and went on recruiting visits, but the likes of Cleveland State and FIU left something to be desired, though he didn't know what was missing.
The void was filled instantaneously when he stepped onto campus at the College of Charleston, and he knew right away that for the first time in his life, he had another place to call home. He then committed to CofC, while still on his official visit.
Following a redshirt season, Riller made his presence felt in The Lowcountry immediately, as he dropped 21 in his collegiate debut against crosstown rival The Citadel.
And from there, his star has only risen.
As Riller has matured into himself and his basketball career continues to blossom, CofC fans have fallen in love with the passion he brings to the game. Following a game-changing 3-pointer, he might pull an imaginary arrow from a quiver over his shoulder, and launch it into the rafters. Or he may pound his chest emphatically after slashing to the basket and completing a versatile finish at the rim.
"I think every person has an outlet that allows them to express themselves," said Riller, who was invited to the Chris Paul CP3 Elite Guard Camp this past summer. "Mine happens to be a basketball court and I use that time to show people my emotions. Sometimes it will get the best of me, but for the most part I just like to have fun. If I make a big play my emotions will take over, but that's just me being free out there. That's just my version of expressing myself."
Off the court, Riller paints a different picture of himself.
"I'm kind of a boring guy in a sense, off the court," he continued. "I'm very laid back, and coming from such a big family, I'm just a family guy that wants to be surrounded by family, regardless if that's my blood family or my teammates and coaches.
"If I'm with my people, I feel like I'm having a good time. I'm just a genuinely caring person who's all about family."
Those who know Riller well recognize his love for his family and his hometown roots through the way he holds himself—both on-and-off the court—but those meeting him for the first time need not look further than the expressive tattoos which proudly start to tell his story.
"Orlando" spans the length of his left forearm in large script letters which are enveloped by several homages to the place he calls home. The road signage for Interstate 4 (I-4) is also depicted, as well as the logo for his all-time favorite team: the Orlando Magic. The scene is surrounded by Florida oranges, a nod to Orange County, and completed by his native area code: 407.
"For me, it's a reminder of where you're from," he said. "I'm thankful I got away for a good cause, and that I've had the opportunity to experience what I have, but home will always be home. I want to respect where I came from, and just put on for my city."
Riller's first homecoming opportunity came in his junior season, as CofC participated in the AdvoCare Invitational at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando last Thanksgiving.
"Aside from the (2018) CAA Championship run, that was my most memorable stretch of games," he said. "I was very excited leading up to it. I'd played at the Disney Complex numerous times growing up during AAU. Playing in front of so many family members, beyond the ones who come to CofC and watch me play, is indescribable."
For Riller, despite the added attention and distraction, it was business as usual once the game started.
"Family is the family that supports you no matter what, regardless of whether you have a great game or produce zero stats. It's all love regardless, and because of that, I didn't feel like I had to prove anything."
Whether he felt the need to or not, Riller did prove something that week.
Following a Cougar loss to LSU, Griller ignited his hometown crowds with back-to-back 30-point evenings, dropping 33 and 32 points in Charleston wins over UAB and Memphis respectively. The 33-point outpouring against UAB was the second-highest in tournament history, and he was ultimately named to the all-tournament team for his standout performance.
But for Riller, CofC winning was far more important than performing for his family or receiving all-tourney accolades. A year later, as his second and homecoming (in a Cougar uniform, at least) draws near, his outlook is no different.
When the dust settles after his time at CofC, Riller's name will be prominently strewn across The College's record books. He stands just 689 points of Andrew Goudelock's scoring record that has stood since the former Los Angeles Lakers' player was drafted from Charleston in 2011.
But, that isn't what drives Grant Riller.
"I hope to be remembered as a hard-working, caring, genuine individual—who they hopefully say was pretty good around here," he said.
"I was lucky enough to win a (CAA) championship (and play in the NCAA Tournament) here. That feeling changed my whole outlook on basketball and sports in general. It makes you appreciate the team aspect a lot more. Once you accomplish that feeling, individual accomplishments don't really have that effect on you anymore."
Editor's Note: Ocoee High School will retire Grant Riller's jersey on Wednesday, December 4 in Ocoee, Fla.
CofCSports.com
College of Charleston fifth-year senior guard Grant Riller is eager to return to his native Orlando, Fla., and the opportunity to combine his two lifelong loves: family and basketball.
As the Cougars prepare for a clash with UCF, Riller will have to balance the usual game preparation with the added emotion and excitement of returning home to play in front of his hometown crowd for the final time—at least in a Cougar uniform, that is.
As CofC fans have witnessed in the past, Riller is up to that task.
Riller was raised in a bustling home where he was always surrounded by love, perpetually sharing space with his parents (Marcus and Bonny), his three siblings (Denzel, Aleyah and Gabby), extended family members, neighbors, and friends—and he wouldn't have had it any other way.
From an early age, he was rarely seen around his western Orlando community without a basketball in hand—that is unless, of course, it'd just left his fingertips on its way to the bottom of the basket.
"I'm extremely thankful that I didn't have to worry about much growing up," said Riller, who is majoring in sociology and will graduate in May from The College. "My parents worked hard at their profession, I was surrounded by love, and all I had to worry about was basketball and school."
Riller did play other sports as a child—like baseball, which he also excelled at—but as he grew older, basketball cast a shadow on his other interests, until baseball and his other pastimes faded away completely.
By the time he reached middle school, Riller was a one-sport athlete dedicated to growing his game. Always self-motivated to improve, Riller knew he had hidden potential as he progressed through the various youth competitive levels.
He was dominant in his early days on recreational courts, but was humbled as he broke into the local AAU scene and was introduced to fiercer competition. He was not deterred, however, and continued to cultivate his game any way he could.
"I was never concerned with stats or playing time or anything like that," he said. "I just wanted to be around the game, get better, and play whatever role needed to be played which would help my team win."
His dedication to self-improvement manifested itself throughout his middle school and early AAU days, to the point that Riller was prepared to try out for the Ocoee High School varsity team as freshman, undiscouraged by being the only one.
"I was in the gym with all the varsity guys, while all the other freshmen were out practicing on the outside courts," Riller described. "I wasn't mature enough to understand the spot I was in, so I was talking and running my mouth during practice, and my high school coach kicked me out of the gym in front of everyone and told me to go outside with JV.
"That's something that's motivated me and I'm thankful for, because we have a great relationship to this day. I think it's something that gave me a wakeup call, and a sense of basketball being something I have to take seriously if I want to get good at it."
From there, Riller did take it seriously, and he did get good at it.
Riller elevated his game throughout his time at Ocoee, but still didn't think college basketball—let alone Division I—was in his future, as he was only playing in local AAU leagues which didn't attract college coaches.That changed, however, as he gained some notoriety once given a chance to shine in the summer of 2014 (following his junior year of high school). He played his way to an AAU All-Star tournament in Philadelphia which was widely attended by big-time college coaches, and he didn't let the opportunity pass him by.
"Getting on that circuit in my last summer of AAU really launched my career," recounts Riller. "I knew I only had one shot at it, so I wanted to focus on playing my game and developing relationships with coaches along the way. I wanted them to see me for the person I was."
One such relationship was with then-soon-to-be College of Charleston Head Coach Earl Grant, and the two struck an immediate bond—the type you build a program on.
Riller entertained other D-I offers and went on recruiting visits, but the likes of Cleveland State and FIU left something to be desired, though he didn't know what was missing.
The void was filled instantaneously when he stepped onto campus at the College of Charleston, and he knew right away that for the first time in his life, he had another place to call home. He then committed to CofC, while still on his official visit.
Following a redshirt season, Riller made his presence felt in The Lowcountry immediately, as he dropped 21 in his collegiate debut against crosstown rival The Citadel.
And from there, his star has only risen.
As Riller has matured into himself and his basketball career continues to blossom, CofC fans have fallen in love with the passion he brings to the game. Following a game-changing 3-pointer, he might pull an imaginary arrow from a quiver over his shoulder, and launch it into the rafters. Or he may pound his chest emphatically after slashing to the basket and completing a versatile finish at the rim.
"I think every person has an outlet that allows them to express themselves," said Riller, who was invited to the Chris Paul CP3 Elite Guard Camp this past summer. "Mine happens to be a basketball court and I use that time to show people my emotions. Sometimes it will get the best of me, but for the most part I just like to have fun. If I make a big play my emotions will take over, but that's just me being free out there. That's just my version of expressing myself."
Off the court, Riller paints a different picture of himself.
"I'm kind of a boring guy in a sense, off the court," he continued. "I'm very laid back, and coming from such a big family, I'm just a family guy that wants to be surrounded by family, regardless if that's my blood family or my teammates and coaches.
"If I'm with my people, I feel like I'm having a good time. I'm just a genuinely caring person who's all about family."
Those who know Riller well recognize his love for his family and his hometown roots through the way he holds himself—both on-and-off the court—but those meeting him for the first time need not look further than the expressive tattoos which proudly start to tell his story.
"Orlando" spans the length of his left forearm in large script letters which are enveloped by several homages to the place he calls home. The road signage for Interstate 4 (I-4) is also depicted, as well as the logo for his all-time favorite team: the Orlando Magic. The scene is surrounded by Florida oranges, a nod to Orange County, and completed by his native area code: 407.
"For me, it's a reminder of where you're from," he said. "I'm thankful I got away for a good cause, and that I've had the opportunity to experience what I have, but home will always be home. I want to respect where I came from, and just put on for my city."
Riller's first homecoming opportunity came in his junior season, as CofC participated in the AdvoCare Invitational at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando last Thanksgiving.
"Aside from the (2018) CAA Championship run, that was my most memorable stretch of games," he said. "I was very excited leading up to it. I'd played at the Disney Complex numerous times growing up during AAU. Playing in front of so many family members, beyond the ones who come to CofC and watch me play, is indescribable."
For Riller, despite the added attention and distraction, it was business as usual once the game started.
"Family is the family that supports you no matter what, regardless of whether you have a great game or produce zero stats. It's all love regardless, and because of that, I didn't feel like I had to prove anything."
Whether he felt the need to or not, Riller did prove something that week.
Following a Cougar loss to LSU, Griller ignited his hometown crowds with back-to-back 30-point evenings, dropping 33 and 32 points in Charleston wins over UAB and Memphis respectively. The 33-point outpouring against UAB was the second-highest in tournament history, and he was ultimately named to the all-tournament team for his standout performance.
But for Riller, CofC winning was far more important than performing for his family or receiving all-tourney accolades. A year later, as his second and homecoming (in a Cougar uniform, at least) draws near, his outlook is no different.
When the dust settles after his time at CofC, Riller's name will be prominently strewn across The College's record books. He stands just 689 points of Andrew Goudelock's scoring record that has stood since the former Los Angeles Lakers' player was drafted from Charleston in 2011.
But, that isn't what drives Grant Riller.
"I hope to be remembered as a hard-working, caring, genuine individual—who they hopefully say was pretty good around here," he said.
"I was lucky enough to win a (CAA) championship (and play in the NCAA Tournament) here. That feeling changed my whole outlook on basketball and sports in general. It makes you appreciate the team aspect a lot more. Once you accomplish that feeling, individual accomplishments don't really have that effect on you anymore."
Editor's Note: Ocoee High School will retire Grant Riller's jersey on Wednesday, December 4 in Ocoee, Fla.
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