Throughout his freshman year, Rykan Woo has continued to prove he is one of the most skilled guards in Illinois’ 2026 class. Whether it was playing for Whitney Young High School or the Illinois Wolves, Woo showcased his great point guard play over the past year.
He started off his freshman season by being named co-mvp at the Pangos Frosh/Soph Camp. Then during the high school season, he helped Whitney Young capture the sophomore Chicago championship. Throughout the spring grassroots season with the Illinois Wolves, he played at an extremely high level consistently helping his team win games. The spring season started with a 15U platinum championship game appearance at the NY2LA Swish N’ Dish and he has continuously played at a high level since all spring.
While all players see some adversity on the court as they transition to the high school level, Woo was no different but found ways to overcome them. “During my freshman season I definitely had a reality check as I started to realize the skills needed to be successful in high school and middle school basketball are just different, but I think it didn’t take me too long to adjust to playing high school basketball,” Woo said about his first high school season.
As well to his advanced point guard skills, Woo is also a high IQ player who is a true playmaker with the ball in his hands. When asked about his game and his skill set, Woo said “I wouldn’t say I have one specific skill that stands out for me as a player, but I think something that I feel I do really well is being able to play with other really good players while also being able to stand out since I’m able to play on and off the ball.” While Woo has a good ability to hit shots from the outside, he is at his best playing on the attack creating for himself and others with his vision, quickness, and decision-making ability. The biggest thing he is looking to improve upon is his strength. “I also need to improve my defense which is a direct correlation to my body becoming stronger and allowing me to be more explosive, but I’ve been definitely working on my body and I do feel like I’ve been making progress.”