2024 NBA Draft: Why Jaylon Tyson is Worth First-Round Pick

After two transfers, guard/wing Jaylon Tyson has found a home in California for what will likely be his last year of college basketball. Will his vast improvement over two seasons be enough to land him in the first 30 picks?

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The Backstory

Jaylon Tyson played his college basketball at John Paul II in Plano, TX, and now stars for the Cal Golden Bears of the Pac-12 Conference. 

Tyson took a roundabout way to get to Berkeley. He began his complicated journey through de-commitments and transfers by signing with Texas Tech, coached by up-and-coming star in the industry Chris Beard. 

Then happened one of the more significant moments in recent college basketball history – something that would even further stoke the hatred between Tech and their arch rival, the University of Texas.

Chris Beard flipped on the Red Raiders, opting to take over the staff at his alma mater in Austin. According to the initial plan, he was to lead the Longhorns into the SEC, aiding the transition, along with Steve Sarkisian's football program, into the most powerful conference in college sports. 

Tyson followed suit, joining Beard in Austin for his freshman season. After just eight games and very limited playing time, however, he decided to leave the team and transfer back to his original target, the school to which he had committed his senior year: Texas Tech. 

Former assistant Mark Adams had taken over for the program in the midst of the Beard debacle, and had a ton of momentum, as well as serious buy-in from a team of really talented players from a masterfully built roster. 

And yet another disaster happened, this time with Adams, directly involving Tyson, which led to both him transferring as well as Adams' dismissal as head coach of the Red Raiders. 

Eventually, Tyson committed to Cal, near the Bay Area, who had been taken over by brand-new head coach Mark Madsen. He, along with fellow Tech transfer center Fardaws Aimaq, joined a team that had promise, as well as gave Tyson a real place to shine as the star of a Power-Five conference team. 

And shine he has. 

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The Player

On the season, Tyson is averaging 19.8 points, seven rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He affects the offense in so many facets, and the size really lends itself to getting after the boards. 

What really pops with Tyson is the fluidity and comfortability he has in his handle, including crossovers and especially leading to step-back shots. He moves so effortlessly around with the ball in his hand and has such tight control of his limbs. 

He demonstrates this skill set with his ability to EuroStep off of the bounce in traffic. According to Synergy Sports, Tyson is in the 66th percentile in points per possession at 0.963 PPP, considered "Very Good" by the scouting service. 

A myriad of offensive moves, a "deep bag" per se, allow Tyson to get to the rim as well as pull-up from mid-range or three. As previously referenced, the step-back ability is palpable. He has legitimate NBA offensive ability.

Top Performances

One of his magnum opuses was his performance against Colorado on Jan. 10, where he scored 30 points while being occasionally guarded by a very solid wing defender the Buffs' Cody Williams. 

Tyson hit 10-of-15 of his shots from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point land, many of which were difficult and/or contested attempts. His shot making ability was truly on display not just in this game but in plenty of games throughout conference play. 

Another impressive outing, this one against USC, found Tyson with 27 points on 10-for-15 shooting and 4-for-5 from three. He repeated a 30-point performance against Washington State as well on Jan. 20. 

He's proven consistently that he can be a number-one scoring option against high-major competition, and though California doesn't have a great record and likely won't make the tournament, they are in year one of a new coaching a regime, a new system, and an overall transitional period. 

Make no mistake – Tyson has been fantastic this season. 

Why He Should Go First Round

It's been beaten to death that this draft isn't rich with top-end talent. 

But Simon Rath said it best: "Once you realize this draft class is one you build with and not build around, you’ll like it more." 

This is a clean way of saying this could be a draft rich in high-end role players, something Tyson qualifies for. He's got the offensive skillset and fluidity/smoothness to his game that will translate even against better athletes and more adept defenders, and could easily be a very good sixth man, if not a starter. 

The thing he will have to build is confidence – he has that in spades in the Pac-12, but he will experience growing pains early on in his NBA career. He's not young, but he's not terribly old, with a draft age of 21.5, but having three (well, OK, two – his eight games at Texas don't count) years of college experience will obviously be of benefit to him. 

Another thing to which he will have to adjust is his role's scalability – he will not be allowed nearly as many field goal attempts as he's allowed in Mark Madsen's offense. This is a struggle with any player transitioning to a higher level, but especially a player like Tyson whose offensive output is his ticket to a second NBA contract. 

Still, Tyson is a player worth expending a pick in the mid-to-late-20s. The offensive game is just so nice, plus the ability to pass out of the drive and make quick reads makes him a wing with point guard skills. 

This isn't to say he's an NBA point guard, of course. But having the ability to take the reins in an offensive situation just emphasizes the IQ and skills that make Jaylon Tyson a first-round talent. 

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