Tylen Riley didn’t need much convincing once Cincinnati entered the picture.
The former Tulsa guard said the Bearcats checked every box in his transfer process, and the fit felt right fast. Riley recently spoke at length with Zach Schuz on The Schuz Show, and he made it clear why he chose to bring his game to Clifton.
"They had every quality, the coaching staff, head coach, fan base, facilities, overall city. It's hard to say no to that," Riley said about his decision to pick the Bearcats from other offers in a busy transfer process. "Especially what they're about to do, what we're about to do, bringing in the type of team that we're bringing in, they're flipping the script, get back to the tournament, like everything's gonna be so big, and the fan base is all in on it.
"It's just a magical city, and something magical is about to happen, like I feel every day I go to the facility, work out, and practice with the team. I just know something nice is about to happen, and God led me here for a reason. I never thought I'd live in Cincinnati, but I'm glad I'm here."
Riley arrives with real production behind him, too. The senior is coming off a season that should give Cincinnati plenty of confidence as it moves into a power conference setting. He earned Second Team All-American Conference honors at Tulsa after averaging 15.0 points per game, good for second on the Golden Hurricane, while also leading the team with 4.4 assists and adding 3.9 rebounds.
He finished with 31 games in double figures and paced the American with 203 made free throws, which ranked 11th nationally at an 87.1% clip.
At 6-foot-3, Riley also gave Tulsa a perimeter threat, knocking down 28 threes at a 38.9% rate. That kind of scoring versatility should fit neatly into what looks like a balanced Cincinnati roster.
Riley also had strong words for UC head coach Calhoun, describing a coach whose personality changes once the ball goes up.
"He just has a switch," Riley said about UC head coach Calhoun. "He's cool, cooler than a fan off the court.
On the court, he's all about business. He's a very smart basketball head, as you want your head coach to be, and he's just very experienced with winning.
That's his standard. When can you help this team win?
What do you do to help this team win or impact winning? Just the type of guy that you want to run through a brick wall for."
That kind of buy-in matters in college basketball’s constant roster churn, where teams are often still learning each other when the season starts. Cincinnati is working through that process now in summer workouts, and Riley is expected to be one of the veteran voices helping set the tone.
With one year of eligibility left, he has a chance to make his stay in Cincinnati a memorable one if the Bearcats’ plan comes together this fall.
In Other News...
Day Day Thomas Just Landed A Fresh NBA Opportunity
Day Day Thomas finished his Cincinnati career as one of the Bearcats most dependable pieces, a guard who stayed in the lineup from start to finish and filled up the box score in a variety of ways. He started all 33 games in his final season and ranked among the team leaders in scoring, assists, three-pointers made, free throw percentage, steals and blocks, a pretty good snapshot of why his game drew attention beyond Clifton.
Now the next step comes quickly, with NBA Summer League games set to begin soon and Thomas getting a fresh chance to show how his college production translates against pro competition. For a player whose value at Cincinnati came from doing a little bit of everything, this is the kind of stage that can turn steady habits into a real opportunity, even if the path from here is still just taking shape. [Read more 🡒]