Cal Basketball: Report: Transfer Jaylon Tyson Denied Immediate Eligibility

Tyson is the Bears' highest rated incoming transfer, but will not be eligible until the 2024-25 season

Cal has not started its men's basketball season yet, but it has already had a setback.

Jaylon Tyson, who transferred to Cal from Texas Tech in the offseason and is the Bears' highest rated incoming transfer, had been denied immediate eligibility by the NCAA, according to Jon Rothstein.

Source: The immediate eligibility waiver for Cal's Jaylon Tyson has been denied by the NCAA.

Tyson is a two-time transfer who has previously played at both Texas Tech and Texas.

Averaged 10.7 PPG and 6.1 RPG last season at Texas Tech.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 26, 2023

Tyson still has two years of college eligibility remaining and would begin playing for Cal in 2024-25, assuming a Cal appeal does not reverse the NCAA's decision, allowing him to play this season.

Tyson, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, is rated the 26th-best transfer in this year's group of transfers, according to ESPN. He averaged 10.7 points and 6.1 rebounds this past season at Texas Tech and made 40.2% of his three-points shots.

He had a career-high 27 points against West Virginia when he was 11-of-15 from the field and made three three-pointers.

Here is what ESPN said about Tyson

26. Jaylon Tyson, 6-6, SF, Soph., Texas Tech Red Raiders

Committed to California

Started his career at Texas before leaving after just a few months. Showed this past season why he was considered a top-50 recruit, averaging 10.7 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting better than 40% from 3.

Jaylon Tyson. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman, USA TODAY Network

The only other incoming Cal transfer ranked among ESPN's top 100 transfers is Fardaws Aimaq, a 6-foot-11 center, who is ranked as the 35th-best transfer this year.  Tyson and Aimaq were teammates at Texas Tech last season, although Aimaq was limited to 11 games because of injury. Tyson played and started 31 games.

Tyson and Aimaq are two of the four transfers on Cal's 2023-24 roster, along with Jalen Cone (from Northern Arizona) and Keonte Kennedy (from Memphis).  

Mike Meadows, who played at Portland last season, also transferred to Cal in the offseason and was on the Cal campus during the summer. But he later re-entered the transfer portal and is now at Saint Louis University.

Cover photo of Jaylon Tyson by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman, USA TODAY NETWORK

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