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We continue our season preview coverage with Charleston SR PG Grant Riller. After missing an entire season with an ACL injury he has bounced back better than ever: Two-Time All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team, 2017 conference All-Rookie Team, 2018 Conference Tournament MVP, and 1 of the top-20 scorers in the nation in 2019. You may not have seen him much in the past but if you have some free time in November he will be leading his team out west to play on national TV in the Wooden Legacy. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Grant about evacuating during Hurricane Dorian and spending Thanksgiving in Anaheim.
You grew up in Florida: what made you choose Charleston? I was not that highly recruited coming out of high school but once I came here on my visit I felt that it was the right place for me.
You play for Coach Earl Grant: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He is definitely a players’ coach and has worked for some of the best head coaches in the country. He is a people person and has taught me how to be a professional both on the court and in the classroom.
You missed your entire freshman season due to an ACL injury but as a redshirt freshman in 2017 you started 29 games and were named to the CAA All-Rookie team: how difficult was it to get back onto the court, and how were you able to play so well once you were healthy? My body was not really developed at the time so it was a blessing that allowed me to get stronger and helped prepare for me the next year.
In the 2018 CAA tourney title game you scored 20 PTS in a 7-PT win over Northeastern en route to being named conference tourney MVP, then scored 16 PTS in a 4-PT loss to Auburn in the NCAA tourney: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and how close did you come to upsetting the Tigers? We had a lot of good players including 2 future NBA players, which gave me more freedom offensively. There was a questionable call at the end of the Auburn game but we just came up a little short.
Your PPG/RPG/APG have increased during each of your 1st 3 seasons: how have you been able to keep improving every single year? Just staying in the gym: I am here mostly year-round and the coaching staff prepares us well in the offseason.
Last Valentine’s Day you scored a career-high 43 PTS/17-25 FG in a 4-PT loss to Hofstra and finished the year #20 in the nation with 21.9 PPG: what is the secret to being a great scorer? Letting the game come to you. You have to play within your offense and know that the ball will eventually find you.
Your non-conference schedule includes a spot in the Wooden Legacy: how excited are you to spend Thanksgiving in California? I am extremely excited. It is a great opportunity for our team because we have a lot of young guys who are not very experienced.
You will open up with Wake Forest and might have to beat Providence/Arizona to win the event: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? They will all be tough games but our focus at the moment is on Wake Forest.
Earlier this month the school had to evacuate due to Hurricane Dorian: how scary was it at the time, and how is the campus/city doing now that you are back? The campus is fine now and the city did a great job of cleaning everything up. We were fortunate to evacuate before it hit but it seems that all is well.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I only want to focus on improving as a player. I came back to win a championship so that is my biggest goal.