CHAPEL HILL – Jae’Lyn Withers said in early October that Cade Tyson had not missed a 3-point shot in a few months.

He was only half-joking.

Tyson, of course, laughed when told what his teammate said.

“I’m glad that he doesn’t remember my misses because I do,” Tyson said.

Truth be told, the 6-foot-7 transfer from Belmont likely doesn’t recall too many either. He’s a sharpshooter, a designation bestowed upon him for justified reason. In two years of college, and more than five months with his new team, Tyson is known as a knock-down perimeter shooter.

Teammates’ eyes light up when asked about the Monroe, NC, native’s marksmanship from beyond the arc.

Stepping up from the Missouri Valley Conference to the ACC is considerable, as is learning to play with players the caliber of the Tar Heels. Longer and quicker defenders trying to limit Tyson, who shot 46.5% on 172 attempted 3-pointers last season, and was 128-for-287 (44.6%) in two seasons with the Bruins.

He says the release on his shot got quicker this past offseason, and playing pickup and some of the organized stuff with the Tar Heels has helped him transition well. And, there is the process and confidence, both of which anchor every bit of Tyson’s game.

“I just like to look at the rim and think about my form and honestly just let it go,” he said. “Not think much about the defender or even see him in my vision.”

And the confidence he has in the shot?

“I try not to think about it too much,” he said. “My confidence comes from my preparation.”

The preparation tactics are impressive. He does one particular drill in which he and assistant coach Jeff Lebo set a goal for Tyson to make a certain number of shots from the perimeter. They time it.

Recently, they set a mark of 250 makes and he achieved it in 30 minutes. That breaks down to 8.3 per minute. But he isn’t attempting only catch-and-shoot threes.

“It’s all like moving and stuff,” Tyson explained. “Some were off the dribble, stuff like that as well.”

Tyson averaged 13.6 as a freshman at Belmont and 16.2 points last season. He is a career 52.7 percent shooter from inside the arc. He also makes 85.7 percent of his free throws and averaged 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists this past season.

Tyson surpassed the 20-point plateau 10 times and scored in double figures in 25 of the 33 games. His seasonal high was 31 against Southern Conference Champion Samford, in which he hit six three-pointers.

Tyson's older brother, Hunter Tyson, starred at Clemson and is in his second year with the Denver Nuggets.

Like Hunter, who was known for aggressively attacking the basket, Cade says that’s in his arsenal, too. In fact, doesn’t embrace the perimeter-guy tag unless it comes with other acknowledgements. For example, he can drive to the hoop, too.

“I feel I’m pretty good at that, especially when people are keyed in on my shooting,” Tyson said. “It makes all other aspects of the game a little easier. I don’t want to be known as just a shooter, put other parts of my game out there.”

His game will bounce back and forth between playing the three and four spots. Most of his time at Belmont was as a small forward (three). But Tyson prepared all offseason to handle a load at the stretch-forward spot for the Tar Heels.

“I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable,” he said about playing the four. “I feel like I put on a good little bit of weight this offseason. So, I feel a lot better in the post and rebounding and stuff like that.”

But more than anything, Tyson wants to be seen as a well-rounded basketball player because that’s what he is.

He isn’t boisterous at all, teammate Seth Trimble said, but he can get under opponents skin with grittiness and swishes bombs from all over the floor.

“Quiet assassin,” Trimble calls him. A moment later, and responding to a follow-up question, Trimble couldn’t help but go back to Tyson and the trifecta.

“The way he can shoot the ball. I think the same thing that pops out for everybody,” Trimble said when discussing Tyson’s game. “He really is an elite shooter… When he shoots the ball, I have full confidence it’s going in.”

So does Withers. So does UNC Coach Hubert Davis. So does Tyson. And it’s likely in time so will Carolina fans and all opponents.