Watch: Cody Riley on Returning From Injury, Tyger Campbell on Offensive Improvement

CODY RILEY

How was first day of action?

Yeah, that would be Long Beach. It felt great, just being in Pauley with the teammates. It was great that i could just help the team in any way I could – defensively, scoring in the low post, giving Myles a break. I was excited to be a part of it.

Team's mentality after COVID-19 pause?

It's been an unfortunate year. A lot of indecisive situations, but at the end of the day, we're a really close team so we know how to stick together and rely on each other to get the win. And I feel like that's what we did at Cal.

How many players in quarantine?

Pretty much all of us. We were all separated for a good 10 days. No practice, workouts, nothing. We just shut the whole thing down until everybody could get healthy and get back on the court.

Playing with Myles?

I feel like we're doing good together. One of the main benefits is just going against each other in practice. He's a great defensive player and I need to playing against longer guys, bigger bodies. And he needs to work on moving his feet and guarding quicker players, so I feel like it works out best for both of us. On the court, we're just talking to each other about what the other big man does, things that he has done often in film that we went over. We just make sure we are on the same page and stuff.

How does Tyger's shooting change offense?

Yeah, it was great for us. Another opportunity to spread the floor. Players really have to guard him on that 3-point line, he's been shooting the ball really well this season. That just helps us in every way offensively. Hopefully, he can keep it up and we can see where it takes us.

What does team have to do to get back to last year's defense?

At this point, I think it's just game reps. Being locked into the scouting report, being locked into what this specific player is doing in that moment, or what they have on the court. I think it's just game reps, we haven't played in a couple weeks. We're not there yet, but I believe by the end of the season we will be there with the intensity that will come with every game and practice and getting better and just staying on the same page.

Critical to get touches in post to balance offense?

I feel like that will depend on the game, the game plan. Some teams are aggressive with doubles in the post and try to open the floor. Some teams don't double the post. So we have a different game plan every game. We try to figure out the mismatch. That's what we do and that's what we've been doing. When it's my turn to dominate in the post or play through me in the post, I'm ready for it and more than willing to. But then there's going to be times where that's not what we're doing, playing through the post, and I'm OK with that. I just want to win at the end of the day.

More opportunities for you to catch and face and shoot from the outside?

Yeah definitely. I've been making my midrange jumpers more consistently. That's been a focus – if I'm open, just to be confident and shoot the rock. My teammates keep me confident. The coaches play a role in that, also.

TYGER CAMPBELL

Everything that's gone into improving your shot?

Um, well, we have a great coaching staff, they help me. We were in summer training this summer so whenever we were in the gym for our summer training sessions, they made a focus to make sure my shot was looking right and I was doing the right things – keeping my left hand up, staying on balance. But a lot of, the majority of the work was just done outside of practice and coming in late and shooting on the gun and doing other things like that. I don't have about a number of how many shots I put up a day, but it was a good amount and I just tried to shoot until it felt comfortable for that day. So each day was different, it wasn't like I was going in with a plan every day, but I just really tried to lock down, work on it and fix the little things this summer, and I was able to do that. It's part of the process of getting better and working on my shot and things like that.

The little things you shored up?

Yeah, I was off balance on a lot of my shots last year, I was falling out of them, not holding my follow through, so keeping my left guide hand up, it's just little ticks that I try to make like muscle memory now and just work on them as much as possible.

One coach you work with more than the others?

Um, I wouldn't say so, but all of them played a great role in my development, so I give credit to all of them. And the managers as well, the managers too.

Managers help you shoot?

They'll rebound for hours, so.

Pac-12 Player of the Week, celebrate with a Fat Tyger?

Nah, this weekend was my birthday weekend, so –

Happy birthday

Yeah, thanks. So I didn't celebrate or anything. I'm thankful for the award, but we got two games this week we gotta win and I'm just happy we could get the wins last week.

Coach wants you to be striving to win Pac-12 Player of the Year, is that a goal for you?

Oh, well I'm a competitor, so of course that's a goal for me, but at the end of the day, my main focus is winning the league, making the tournament, hopefully making a push. But yeah, all those would be cool, I appreciate coach for saying those things about me, but yeah, I'm just focused on the team and this season. Of course the individual accolades are cool and I thankful for them, but our main focus is Thursday playing Oregon and winning, so that's really all I'm looking forward to right now.

Watch the championship game or Oregon-Oregon State last night?

Yeah, I watched some of the game, I watched more of the College Football Playoff game. But I'm gonna go back and review that game tonight, Oregon-Oregon State.

Coach wanted you to go from good to great and not be content?

Well everything coach says, I take very seriously, so I took it to heart and I really, this summer, wanted to get a lot of work in. And I know I had a lot of things that I had to work on from last year, not just my shooting but playmaking ability and being more consistent on the defensive end, so pretty much I took what coach told me to do and I tried to just get better for it and add it to my game for this year. And so just as the season keeps going, I'm gonna keep trying, working, everybody's in the country's working, trying to get better. So I'm just trying to find my game right now and just keep going.