Prospect Watch: Riley Naeger (2020)

<p>Class of 2020 forward Riley Naeger of St. Pius X in Festus is a small school big who really started to make a name for himself during the summer.</p> <p>The 6'7" Naeger is a versatile performer who can score and rebound inside at a high level, but what also stands out are his excellent passing and ball handling skills. He is a very unselfish player who relishes the idea of making his teammates better with the pass. Naeger is also a confident ball handler who can make plays off the dribble. His ability to handle the ball and pass enables teams to run offense through him in a smooth manner. It is a very common sight to see Naeger snatch down a rebound, then proceed to lead the fast break by himself to make a play.</p> <p> "Passing is the one thing I take most pride in because when I get my teammates the ball, it increases our chances of winning and then it opens up more opportunities for myself," he said. "Ball handling is very important to me because being a taller kid, people don't think I'm able to dribble. So, being able to to break someone down and get to the basket is big.</p> <p> As a junior, Naeger averaged 16.5 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists a game while shooting 60 percent from the field in leading St. Pius to a 20-8 record and a berth in the Class 3 district championship game. With several key players back from that 20-victory team, Naeger is hoping to take his team one step further in the postseason.</p> <p>"My goals are to win districts and get a banner hung in our gym," he said."</p> <p> Naeger continued to turn heads during the summer grassroots season with the St. Louis Shooting Stars 17U squad. He also played well at a number of Elite Camps around the state, where he was able to showcase his overall skill set. He has started to receive recruiting interest from schools such as Drury, Missouri Southern, Maryville and Coe College.</p> <p> "Over the summer, I improved a lot on my range and ability to dribble under pressure," he said. "I like to push the ball up the court in transition."</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>