Creighton’s move to the Big East saw a slight shift in some of the 2014 targets the Jays were after at this time last season. One such player has been high on Creighton’s radar for well over three years.
That player is 2014 guard Riley LaChance.
Creighton coaches have scouted him as the lead guard with Ray Allen Select at numerous tournaments. The CU staff, along with coaches throughout the Midwest, has watched LaChance blossom from an elite shooter into one of more coveted lead guards in the nation.
2014 Creighton target Riley LaChance
Early in LaChance’s recruitment his shooting automatically had him categorized into the shooting guard position, and as a 6-1 shooting guard he classified only as a mid-major type player. Not with Creighton. The Jays coaching staff watched the Brookfield, Wisconsin, native closely and felt that with enough hard work and effort he could be an elite point guard with range that could punish defense at any level.
LaChance has now grown to 6-2 plus. His shooting abilities still rank among the nation’s finest. And his point guard skills that have elevated him into ESPN and Future150.com Top 100 recruits for 2014.
“[Riley] can shoot, and if you can shoot like that you can go anywhere,” said Maryland commit Romeo Trimble to Slamonline.com when asked about what he thought about LaChance, following Riley’s 39-point losing effort in an AAU final. Riley carried Ray Allen Select through that and many other tournaments, turning heads with jumpers, excellent court presence and high level court vision.
And that’s what has Creighton coaches so interested.
Riley’s ability to lead a team down the floor fits the mold of a Creighton basketball star — Creighton ranked 5th in the nation in assists per game last season. His marksmanship has been well documented over the previous two seasons — Creighton lead the nation in field goal percentage last season. LaChance fits perfectly into what Creighton has been and is trying to do on the court.
Other schools have discovered what Creighton has known for years. Offers have been pouring in for Riley following his tremendously successful AAU season. Earlier this month LaChance cut his list of schools to eight: Butler, Davidson, Xavier, Gonzaga, Indiana, Baylor, Vanderbilt, and Creighton.
Riley is a well-versed recruit as his father is one of his coaches.
“I really just want to make sure he makes the best decision for himself and ask the right questions,” Riley’s father Tommy LaChance told White and Blue Review.
Riley and his father value the same qualities in a future spot.
“We are looking for a place that has a good basketball reputation good fan support as well as a good school where he can study what [Riley] wants,” said Tommy.
WBR caught up with Riley and his father Tommy following their visit to Creighton, the first of his official visits.
WBR : First off, how did your summer go?
Riley LaChance: Good; we got deep into some tournaments. We got to the final four in Vegas but lost.
WBR: You seem to run the point a lot for Ray Allen Select, but you’re a deadly shooter. What position do you like playing? What position do you see yourself playing in college?
RL: Point guard.
WBR: I recently saw a scout compare your game to that of Gonzaga sharpshooter Kevin Pangos. Who are some of the players you emulate your game after?
RL: I really like the way Steve Nash and Chris Paul lead their teams.
WBR: Last September, you held offers from North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Western Michigan, and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Since then you’ve racked offers from a number of schools in multiple conferences including Creighton. What do you attribute the increase in interest too?
RL: It was just a matter of time. I think that now I’m a senior and that is the oldest class you can recruit, and coaches probably started paying more attention to me. I really haven’t played much different.
WBR: I recently saw you cut your list down to eight schools: Gonzaga, Indiana, Baylor, Davidson, Xavier, Butler, Vanderbilt and Creighton. What other schools are you planning on visiting? Any leaders?
RL : I was at Creighton last weekend, I’m going to visit Gonzaga, Xavier, and Vanderbilt for sure.
WBR: The Creighton staff has been on you for a while; talk a little about your relationship with them and the university?
RL: They’re very relatable and a highly respected coaching staff.
WBR: You’ve been down to Creighton a number of times before your official visit, what has impressed you about the school?
RL: I like a lot from just walking around campus. They are the only show in the city with no football or pro sports so I like their fan base obviously.
WBR: Has Creighton’s move to the Big East affected how you see them as a program? More attractive? Less attractive?
RL: I had a lot interest in them before, but I think them to the Big East helps them in recruiting because it’s a bigger conference.
WBR: What are some of the important factors you will be looking for when you basing your decision?
RL: Place I can go for four more years; comfortable; a place with good basketball tradition and place that feels like home.
WBR: When will you be hoping to make a decision regarding your future?
RL: No real timetable.
WBR: What is your relationship like with the Creighton coaching staff?
Tommy LaChance: It’s a good one. It’s a very well respected staff. I know Coach Merfeld the best; he’s the one that has had the most contact with Riley from the beginning.
WBR: What are some of the aspects you like about Creighton?
TL: I like that it’s a good basketball program that the main sport is basketball there and that it has great fan support and that it’s a great school!
WBR: What is it like to have a son seen as a top 100 recruit in the nation?
TL: It’s great to see. I’ve never seen a kid work harder on his craft. Everything he gets he’s deserved and worked really hard for it.
WBR: How do you balance that in the recruiting process as a coach and father?
TL: Well I think you have to wear both hats. That’s something that Coach McDermott and I have talked about because he is the same situation. Luckily for me we’ve had three or four kids pretty highly recruited in the past and I’m trying to handle Riley’s recruitment the same.