Adrian Riep has moved around quite a bit. He lived in four states before his family settled in Lake Zurich when he was in eighth grade.
Always tall for his age, Riep spent time in Indiana and North Carolina, so basketball demanded his attention. The 6-foot-4 senior forward’s ongoing commitment to the sport is good not only for the Bears but also for his chances to play in college. Riep has offers from Elmhurst, Lawrence, North Central and Wisconsin-Platteville.
“It felt great getting those first texts and calls,” he said of his recruitment process. “When I made my first visit and got my first offer was when it really set in for me. I’m happy I’ll have the opportunity to experience playing at another level and continue playing the game I love.”
Riep, who averages 13.0 points for Lake Zurich (6-9), has attracted college interest because he can affect a game in a variety of ways. Given his height, he often found himself close to the basket when he was younger, and he developed a certain skill set that paid dividends in his first season as a varsity reserve on the team that won a Class 4A regional title in 2024.
Diving for loose balls, setting screens and hitting the boards, Riep was a valuable commodity on a team with plenty of scoring options.
“When I was young, they would just toss the ball into the post, and I used my size well,” he said. “But it gets to a point where if you’re not 6-8, you can’t really be a big anymore.”
After his sophomore season, Riep sought to expand his offensive game to become a consistent outside shooter and ball handler.
“As a sophomore, we came pretty close to telling him not to shoot threes,” Lake Zurich coach Terry Coughlin said. “His consistency in shooting from the outside has really improved. He had the will and desire to get better, and he did. Now he has to take open looks from outside.”
Repetition is one reason for Riep’s improved shooting touch. He also played a ton of pickup games in the summer of 2024 and ran through a number of workouts, like closeout drills and shooting with a hand in his face, to simulate game conditions.
“I also knew I needed to handle the ball better, so I can help swing the ball to teammates and not have pressure affect me if I’m doubled,” Riep said. “I’m playing out on the wing a lot more this year, and I’m a much more polished version of myself.”
Riep demonstrated that when he hit six 3-pointers, including five in the third quarter, during a recent loss at York.
“He’s become really versatile offensively, both inside and outside,” Coughlin said. “We ask a lot of him, not only from a scoring standpoint but playing physically on defense for 32 minutes every game.”
Riep wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Coach always talks to us about having a tough, physical presence, and Adrian embodies this every day,” Lake Zurich senior point guard Evan Peterson said. “He’s an animal, and the number of ripped jerseys we have in practice that take the brunt of it are proof.
“In games, there’s blood on his jersey, and I can’t imagine other teams like trying to score against him.”
Riep’s physical presence down low is a byproduct of extensive training, including one-on-one drills with former Lake Zurich center Anton Strelnikov. They began working with the same trainer two years ago and got together as recently as the holidays when the 6-8 Strelnikov, a freshman at Dartmouth, was home for a few days.
“Practicing against him makes what goes on in games a lot easier,” Riep said.
A prevailing storyline for Lake Zurich this season has been tight margins. Five losses were by two possessions or less. Riep has played a big part in keeping the Bears within striking distance and believes they will start winning more of those games.
“We embrace tough games like we’ve had, and I know we’ve got the makeup and players to bounce back and get better,” he said.
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.