Jaylon Tyson Taken With 20th Overall Pick of NBA Draft by Cavs

Cal's Jaydon Tyson was taken earlier in the NBA draft than anyone expected, being taken with the 20th pick f the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

Tyson, who played one season with the Golden Bears after spending time a Texas and Texas A&M, was projected to go no higher than No. 23 overall, with a lot of experts predicting that he would be selected early in the second round.

An indication of his surprising draft selection is the fact that he was not one of the 25 players invited to be present at the NBA Draft in Brooklyn New York.

The 6-foot-6 Tyson averaged 19.6 for Cal in 2023-24, nearly doubling his scoring average at Texas Tech the previous season. He also averaged 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists while handling most of the ballhandling and playmaking duties for the Golden Bears. He shot 36% from three-point range, but his best skills are his ability to create his own shot and penetrate and finish at the rim.

With the Cavaliers he joins a team with a new head coach -- Kenny Atkins, who was a Warriors assistant coach this past season.

The Cavaliers have title aspirations. They finished fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 48-34 record, then beat Orlando in the first round of the playoffs before losing to eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in five games in the second round.

.