College of Charleston men’s basketball star Grant Riller ’20 was selected 56th overall in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. It is the first time in school history to have basketball players drafted in back-to-back years. Jarrell Brantely ’19 was drafted in 2019 by the Indiana Pacers, before being traded to the Utah Jazz.
“I am very thankful for everyone who helped me get to this point,” Riller says. “I am blessed beyond words and ready to get to work with the Hornets.”
Riller closed out his illustrious career for the Cougars ranked second all-time in career scoring with 2,474 points, which ranks third-most in conference history behind former NBA All-Star David Robinson of Navy and Charles Jenkins of Hofstra.
During his senior campaign, he averaged a team-and league-best 21.9 points per game, which ranked No. 10 nationally, and became the first CofC player to record a triple-double in program history (20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists versus Northeastern on Jan. 16, 2020).
In addition to Brantley, Riller joins an elite group of NBA Draft selections from the College including Anthony Johnson and Andrew Goudelock. With his move to Charlotte, Riller will once again call former Cougar Joe Chealey ’18 a teammate. Chealey has played for the Hornets for the past two years.
Read the full story at cofcsports.com.
