All-Pac-12 guard Jaylon Tyson from Cal declares for NBA draft

ByJonathan Givony ESPN logo
Thursday, April 4, 2024

Cal's Jaylon Tyson, an All-Pac-12 first-team player, told ESPN his college career is over and that he'll be declaring for the 2024 NBA draft.

"I am going to forgo my remaining eligibility and enter the draft," Tyson said. "I am in Las Vegas getting ready right now."

Tyson, ranked No. 32 in the ESPN 100 among NBA draft prospects, had a breakout season for Cal, finishing third in the Pac-12 in scoring averaging 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Tyson joined newly hired head coach Mark Madsen as a transfer from Texas Tech and helped lead the Golden Bears to a surprisingly competitive season, finishing 9-11 in the Pac-12.

"I had a great season, statistically speaking, even though we didn't make the end goal," Tyson said. "It was great to build some momentum for Cal going into next year."

His positional size, productivity, versatility as a 6-7 guard who can create his own shot, find teammates creatively and shoot from the perimeter stood out for NBA teams all season with a slew of huge scoring outings in Pac-12 play.

"NBA teams saw that I'm a versatile guard," Tyson said. "I can play a lot of different positions on the court. I can be a '3-and-D' player or a secondary ball handler. I even showed I can play point guard in spurts down the line."

The NBA draft will be held over two days in New York City on June 26 and 27. The first round will be conducted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, followed by the second round the next day at ESPN's studio in lower Manhattan.

Jonathan Givony is an NBA Draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and international teams.