Riley Xu '23 Recruiting Profile

I may have joined basketball teams a little later than others in fifth grade, but I have always had love for the sport since I was in first grade, when I played basketball with my friends during recess and lunch. After trying out other sports such as soccer, swimming, and archery and simply watching my brother play basketball, I made up my mind that basketball was what truly made me the happiest. Throughout the past five years of my journey playing basketball, I managed to keep my academics and extracurriculars well-balanced: as I led my fifth grade and eighth grade team to league championships, I maintained straight A's in all my classes. Unfortunately, I was not able to participate in my freshman season due to an ACL tear in my left knee. However, even through that tough time, I set my whole mind on rehabilitating my knee and coming back stronger. That time allowed me to rethink my position in my teams and think about many potential ways of improving myself. Now, as I start to become comfortable with the court again, I have a new mindset, so I am more than ready to take on new challenges.

Other than basketball, I love to express myself through art. I fell in love with art at a very young age, and I have gone to art classes for at least nine years. Although I love just a simple pencil drawing or sketch once in a while, I have explored many other forms of art that I loved, including painting, photography, cinematography, graphic designing, dancing, and animation. I will forever be grateful for my parents, who supported my hobbies and always pushed me to be better.

Some small things to know about me are that I love eating and hanging out with friends (but I also love alone time any time I get the chance), playing piano, listening to different kinds of music, and watching kdramas and comedies. In the future, I want to learn how to play guitar, become a good ice skater, and ride roller coasters without feeling like my stomach is going to fall out every time.