Jaylon Tyson denied immediate eligibility at Cal after Texas Tech departure
Jaylon Tyson had a waiver requesting immediate eligibility as a second-time transfer denied by the NCAA earlier this week. Cal coach Mark Madsen confirmed the decision when he met with reporters on Friday.
“We are in the process of mounting a strong appeal,” Madsen said. “We’re very hopeful that, on the appeal, Jaylon Tyson will be cleared to play as a second-time transfer.”
The junior forward comes to Cal this season after spending time at Texas Tech and Texas.
He initially signed with Texas but entered the transfer portal midway through the 2021-22 season and joined Texas Tech in December of 2021.
He averaged 10.7 points a game in 31 appearances for Tech as a sophomore during the 2022-23 season. He left Lubbock in April, a month after former head coach Mark Adams resigned.
Adams, now an assistant at East Carolina, resigned as the Tech head coach following a suspension for making a racially insensitive comment to a player. Adams was also under investigation for spitting on a player, per Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.
Tyson told Sports Illustrated that he was called a slave and was told that Adams was his master.
“I believe it’s extremely important for Jaylon Tyson to be granted this waiver, not only for himself but for every other student-athlete that finds themselves in a situation like this in the future,” Madsen told reporters.
The 6-foot-7 Tyson is a prototypical three-and-D wing and would certainly help Cal in Year 1 under Madsen. Cal opens the year against St. Thomas (MN) on Nov. 6.