.png&width=36&height=36&type=webp)
University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Lucas: Tyson's Shooting A Natural Fit
October 4, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Cade Tyson has adapted quickly to Carolina basketball.
By Adam Lucas
Like any good shooter, Cade Tyson doesn't measure his workouts by shots attempted. It's only by shots made.
Some players talk about wanting to take a certain number of shots in each individual practice session. Not Tyson. When he was developing the form that led to him being one of the most sought-after players in the summer 2024 transfer portal, he was only counting makes.
"My freshman and sophomore years of high school, I'd shoot on the gun after practice and do 250 makes," he says. "The workout lasted as long as that took me. By the time I got to junior and senior years, I was getting close to 300 or 350 makes."
That's how you develop the fundamentals that enabled Tyson to shoot 49.2 percent from the floor during his two years at Belmont University in Nashville, including a ridiculous 46.5 percent from three-point range last season on 172 attempts. To put that into context, RJ Davis earned ACC Player of the Year honors while shooting 39.8 percent from beyond the arc on 284 attempts.
That shooting proficiency would appear to make Tyson a perfect fit in Hubert Davis' offense. Combine it with growing up in North Carolina (Tyson is from Monroe) and surely the prospect would be well acquainted with the Tar Heels, right?
Not really. Tyson had never been inside the Chapel Hill city limits prior to his official visit this spring. What he found, though, was exactly what he hoped.
"My first trip to Chapel Hill was awesome," he says. "The family atmosphere and all the guys who come back—with the guys who came back, it was like they never left."
Despite his relative unfamiliarity with Carolina, Tyson is well acquainted with the Atlantic Coast Conference. His older brother, Hunter, was a first team All-ACC pick for Clemson in 2023 and now plays for the Denver Nuggets.
The brothers are part of an athletic family that includes Cade's twin sister, Laikyn, who attends NC State. That led to some competitive battles growing up that had to be supervised by parents Jonathan (who played basketball at Wingate) and Torri.
"There was some blood," Cade says with a grin. "Maybe a lot of elbows being thrown, usually Hunter's."
Some of that physical play could be an asset on a 2024-25 Tar Heel team that is searching to replace the rebounding and paint presence that Armando Bacot provided for the last five years. Tyson isn't a post player, and primarily grew up playing as a guard until a growth spurt around the end of middle school and start of high school took him from 5-foot-8 to 6-foot-5 in approximately 24 months.
Now standing a solid 6-foot-7, he knows rebounding is a need and casually mentions a goal of averaging a double-double.
"I have to be big on the boards," he says. "Both offensive and defensive."
The frequent advantage of finding a player in the transfer portal instead of a potentially more raw high schooler is that in addition to physical development, they have an advanced understanding of what it takes to win at the college level. Tyson won 41 games in two seasons at Belmont, so he knows some of the key moments can happen away from the court.
"How prepared you are for each game is huge," he says. "That comes from practice, watching film, what you eat on the day before the game and the day before that. Everything factors in. And team chemistry is huge as well. The team that's the closest together is usually going to come out on top."
Tyson has yet to participate in the NCAA Tournament during his college career, and says it's been difficult to watch the event knowing he doesn't have a chance to compete. He expects that to change this season.
"Carolina is about winning," he says. "And I'd rather have that standard than one where people don't care. We embrace that standard. That's a big reason why we love it here."
Like any good shooter, Cade Tyson doesn't measure his workouts by shots attempted. It's only by shots made.
Some players talk about wanting to take a certain number of shots in each individual practice session. Not Tyson. When he was developing the form that led to him being one of the most sought-after players in the summer 2024 transfer portal, he was only counting makes.
"My freshman and sophomore years of high school, I'd shoot on the gun after practice and do 250 makes," he says. "The workout lasted as long as that took me. By the time I got to junior and senior years, I was getting close to 300 or 350 makes."
That's how you develop the fundamentals that enabled Tyson to shoot 49.2 percent from the floor during his two years at Belmont University in Nashville, including a ridiculous 46.5 percent from three-point range last season on 172 attempts. To put that into context, RJ Davis earned ACC Player of the Year honors while shooting 39.8 percent from beyond the arc on 284 attempts.
That shooting proficiency would appear to make Tyson a perfect fit in Hubert Davis' offense. Combine it with growing up in North Carolina (Tyson is from Monroe) and surely the prospect would be well acquainted with the Tar Heels, right?
Not really. Tyson had never been inside the Chapel Hill city limits prior to his official visit this spring. What he found, though, was exactly what he hoped.
"My first trip to Chapel Hill was awesome," he says. "The family atmosphere and all the guys who come back—with the guys who came back, it was like they never left."
Despite his relative unfamiliarity with Carolina, Tyson is well acquainted with the Atlantic Coast Conference. His older brother, Hunter, was a first team All-ACC pick for Clemson in 2023 and now plays for the Denver Nuggets.
The brothers are part of an athletic family that includes Cade's twin sister, Laikyn, who attends NC State. That led to some competitive battles growing up that had to be supervised by parents Jonathan (who played basketball at Wingate) and Torri.
"There was some blood," Cade says with a grin. "Maybe a lot of elbows being thrown, usually Hunter's."
Some of that physical play could be an asset on a 2024-25 Tar Heel team that is searching to replace the rebounding and paint presence that Armando Bacot provided for the last five years. Tyson isn't a post player, and primarily grew up playing as a guard until a growth spurt around the end of middle school and start of high school took him from 5-foot-8 to 6-foot-5 in approximately 24 months.
Now standing a solid 6-foot-7, he knows rebounding is a need and casually mentions a goal of averaging a double-double.
"I have to be big on the boards," he says. "Both offensive and defensive."
The frequent advantage of finding a player in the transfer portal instead of a potentially more raw high schooler is that in addition to physical development, they have an advanced understanding of what it takes to win at the college level. Tyson won 41 games in two seasons at Belmont, so he knows some of the key moments can happen away from the court.
"How prepared you are for each game is huge," he says. "That comes from practice, watching film, what you eat on the day before the game and the day before that. Everything factors in. And team chemistry is huge as well. The team that's the closest together is usually going to come out on top."
Tyson has yet to participate in the NCAA Tournament during his college career, and says it's been difficult to watch the event knowing he doesn't have a chance to compete. He expects that to change this season.
"Carolina is about winning," he says. "And I'd rather have that standard than one where people don't care. We embrace that standard. That's a big reason why we love it here."
Players Mentioned
Carolina Insider - Football vs. Stanford Preview (Full Segment) - November 7, 2025
Friday, November 07
Carolina Insider - Men's Basketball vs. Kansas Preview (Full Segment) - November 7, 2025
Friday, November 07
WBB: Post-Elon Press Conference - Nov. 6, 2025
Friday, November 07
Hubert Davis Pre-Kansas Press Conference
Thursday, November 06