Heel Tough Blog: Cade Tyson Enters Transfer Portal After One Season at UNC

In an expected move that finally became official, Cade Tyson entered the transfer portal earlier today after a disappointing season in Chapel Hill. Tyson arrived in Chapel Hill as a highly heralded transfer recruit, after excelling at Belmont, where two years ago, he was in second in the country in three-point shooting, at 46%. That dynamic wing scorer never made his way to UNC, as he averaged just 2.6 points, 1.1 rebounds, on 40% shooting from the field, and 29% from behind the arc. His best game as a Tar Heel came against La Salle, where he scored 23 points. Against power conference competition, Tyson never scored in double figures, and it became apparent that it just wasn’t a confidence issue, it was a talent issue, and he didn’t belong on a court that involved UNC. There was some belief that maybe a second season in the program, another off-season would help him adjust. Still, Hubert Davis couldn’t take that risk, with plenty of talented wings in the portal. It’s not fair for Tyson, who has the ability to be a productive player at the mid-major, to waste his final season sitting on the bench, even if his lifelong dream was to be a Tar Heel. 

Carolina has already brought in one wing transfer this off-season, Jonathan Powell from West Virginia, and there’s a great chance they’ll add another this weekend, with former top-40 recruit Kanon Catchings on campus right now, even if that falls though, UNC has made contact, with Alabama transfer, and Chapel Hill native, Jarin Stevenson about potentially joining the roster. In both cases, each player is a definite upgrade over Cade Tyson and will be much more involved than he was last season, where he was borderline unplayable at times in ACC competition. 

Tyson now becomes the fourth Tar Heel to exit the program this off-season, joining Elliot Cadeau, Ian Jackson, and Jalen Washington, as others to leave Chapel Hill. Barring something unforeseen, Tyson is expected to be the last transfer, that was with the program last season, given that the status of Zayden High is currently unknown. 

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