CHAPEL HILL – Cade Tyson needed to see the ball go through the basket.
His team needed to see it, too.
Not that they were doubting the Belmont transfer, more that they’ve known all along what he can do on the basketball court and were hoping this would be the night he finally lit the fuse, so to speak. And he did.
With 12:43 remaining in North Carolina’s 107-55 romp over American, Tyson drained a 3-pointer from the left corner after a drive-and-kickout by Seth Trimble. It set off the UNC crowd because it was the Tar Heels’ first perimeter make on the night after 10 misses, and it was Tyson’s first three of his UNC career.
And it came after a real struggle the first two games, including playing just 63 seconds last week at Kansas.
“Yes sir, it did,” Tyson replied when asked if it felt good seeing one go down.
He was then asked if it helped him feel a bit normal to see multiple threes go down and get right.
“I think so,” he replied. “I think it’s a little bit of a confidence boost hearing you make a shot and the crowd going crazy.”
Tyson shot 46.5% from the perimeter on 172 attempts last season with the Bruins and was 128-for-287 (44.6%) in two seasons before becoming a Tar Heel. Among the things Tyson was brought to do in Chapel Hill was hit threes; lots of threes.
UNC Coach Hubert Davis is quick to point out Tyson isn’t just a shooter, as are his teammates. But that was the most appealing attribute of him when in the portal and why he was such a big get by the Tar Heels.
What’s interesting is that Tyson was hesitant shooting the ball in the first two games, twice shot air balls and had an attempted three blocked in the opener against Elon. A shooter hesitating is not a good sign at all.
He played appearing to have little confidence. For an example, in one sequence Friday night, Tyson passed up a 3-pointer instead passing the ball to point guard Elliot Cadeau, who has dramatically improved his perimeter shooting, but won’t be mistaken within the Smith Center for Tyson when it comes to accuracy beyond the arc.
But when Trimble drove into the lane, saw nothing was there and found Tyson in the corner, he didn’t think, he let it fly. Swish!
With 8:14 remaining, off a pass from Jae’Lyn Withers, Tyson sank his second three of the night. And 56 seconds later, on another assist from Withers, Tyson hit yet again from outside. Belmont Cade was back.
“I was happy that he was able to make some shots,” UNC Coach Hubert Davis said. “That's one of many things that he can do out there on the floor that's a benefit to us. I thought he was playing confident… I was happy that tonight he played with confidence, and I was really, really proud of him.”
The final of Tyson’s trio of 3-pointers gave UNC an 84-49 lead, so it wasn’t exactly a pressure moment, but it was extremely important. For the Tar Heels to reach their potential, Tyson must be a consistent contributor and someone Davis can play 20-plus minutes a night regardless of the opponent.
In the loss at Kansas, foul trouble to Carolina’s bigs created a scenario where slender 6-foot-6 freshman Drake Powell had two lengthy stints at the four spot. He’s a nice player who will help the Tar Heels win a lot of games this season, but Tyson is physically more capable of beefing it up some in the paint if necessary. He fits the suit more.
Furthermore, if one considers a lineup of Cadeau shooting, driving and passing to go with RJ Davis and his hardware along with vastly improved Seth Trimble, adding Tyson at nearly 6-foot-8 draining them from either corner and the wing, and the Heels will be a nightmare matchup.
A player with 131 made threes is a player with 131 made threes. He’s a high-volume and high-accuracy guy. Tyson can do other things, but if he’s the player most expected moving forward, or close to it, it simply elevates a lethal team that much more.
