# Shocking Moment as North Carolina Transfer Cade Tyson Commits to Minnesota
**By Adam Finkelstein**
*Zagsblog*
*June 1, 2025*
MINNEAPOLIS — In a jaw-dropping twist that has left the college basketball world reeling, former North Carolina Tar Heel and Belmont sharpshooter Cade Tyson announced his commitment to the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Sunday afternoon, opting for the unassuming confines of Williams Arena over a laundry list of blue-blood suitors. The 6-foot-7 wing from Monroe, N.C., who entered the transfer portal just seven weeks ago after a dismal stint in Chapel Hill, chose the Gophers in a move that blindsided fans, analysts, and even some insiders tracking his recruitment. “This one’s got everyone picking their jaws up off the floor,” said one Big Ten source who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Cade had Kentucky knocking, Purdue calling, and Iowa flying him in—then he picks Minnesota? It’s the portal equivalent of a buzzer-beater from half court.”
The news, first reported by On3’s Joe Tipton and quickly confirmed by Zagsblog sources, caps a whirlwind recruitment that began with Tyson’s abrupt departure from UNC on April 11. What started as a quest for redemption after a freshman-year flop at Power Five level has morphed into one of the offseason’s most confounding storylines. Tyson, the 2022 North Carolina Mr. Basketball and brother to Denver Nuggets forward Hunter Tyson, cited a “fresh start” and “genuine fit” in an Instagram post featuring him in maroon and gold, but the decision raises as many questions as it answers. Why Minnesota, a program mired in mediocrity for years, over the glamour of Lexington or West Lafayette? And what does this mean for Hubert Davis’s Tar Heels, already hemorrhaging talent after missing March Madness?
To understand the shock, rewind to Tyson’s meteoric rise at Belmont. The lanky forward arrived on campus in Nashville as a highly touted recruit, fresh off leading Carmel Christian to a state title with 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists per game as a senior. Under coach Casey Alexander, Tyson wasted no time. As a freshman in 2022-23, he exploded for 13.6 points and 4.6 boards, shooting 41.7% from three and earning Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year honors. His sophomore campaign? Pure sorcery. Tyson averaged 16.2 points and 5.9 rebounds, drilling 46.5% of his threes—second-best in the nation—while guiding the Bruins to 41 wins over two seasons. “Cade’s the best shooter I’ve ever coached,” Alexander said post-transfer. “He doesn’t miss when he’s open, and he works like a demon to get open.”
The portal beckoned in April 2024, with Tyson drawing interest from every major conference. But it was UNC that won out, thanks to Davis’s personal touch and the allure of playing 30 minutes from home. “Hubert sold me on family, faith, and finishing my degree here,” Tyson told reporters upon committing. The Tar Heels, stung by the exits of Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram to the NBA, needed shooting. Tyson, projected as a 3-and-D glue guy, seemed tailor-made to space the floor for RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau.
Hype built quickly. Summer leagues buzzed with clips of Tyson knocking down contested jumpers. Exhibition tune-ups had him scorching nets—15 threes in a scrimmage against a pro squad, per team insiders. Fans, starved after UNC’s Elite Eight run in 2022 gave way to Sweet 16 heartbreak, anointed him the savior. “Cade’s gonna be our Duncan Robinson,” one Chapel Hill bartender quipped during preseason tailgates.
Then, reality crashed the party. The ACC’s grind exposed Tyson’s green frame. At 195 pounds, he struggled against burly wings like Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin or Virginia’s Reece Beekman, who bodied him off the dribble and contested every shot. Injuries to starters like Seth Trimble forced him into spots he wasn’t ready for, leading to a carousel of roles: spot-up shooter one night, reluctant ball-handler the next. His stat line? A ghostly 2.6 points and 1.1 rebounds in 8.3 minutes across 31 games, with a 29.2% clip from deep on low volume. A brief February surge—12 points on 5-of-7 shooting against Pitt—teased potential, but it fizzled. UNC stumbled to a 19-13 finish, bounced in the ACC quarters, and Tyson hit the portal, the fourth Tar Heel to do so.
The fallout was brutal. Davis, in a raw post-mortem presser, lamented, “We all believed in Cade’s upside, but the leap was steeper than we thought. Growth comes from adversity.” Fans turned vicious; memes dubbed him “Cade Who?” and “The Belmont Bust.” Tyson’s camp leaked regrets—he’d confided to friends about feeling “lost” in a star-studded locker room, overshadowed by five-star freshmen like Drake Powell. Hunter Tyson, fresh off a 2024 second-round draft pick, advised a reset: “Find where you can play, bro. Minutes matter more than logos.”
Enter the portal frenzy. By late April, Tyson’s phone buzzed nonstop. Kentucky’s John Calipari (pre-retirement whispers) pitched NBA grooming. Purdue’s Matt Painter dangled Big Ten battles. Iowa, after losing Owen Freeman to the pros, hosted him for a spring visit, wowing with Hawkeye hospitality. Ohio State, BYU, Clemson (Hunter’s alma mater), and even UCF circled. “It was surreal,” Tyson later admitted. “Power Fives treating me like royalty after one bad year.” Insiders pegged Iowa as the frontrunner, with a verbal commitment rumored post-visit.
But Minnesota? The Gophers, fresh off a 15-16 snoozer under Ben Johnson, seemed like a punchline. Johnson bolted for Louisville amid scandal whispers, leaving Niko Medved—hired from Colorado State in March—to rebuild a skeleton crew. Medved, known for mid-major miracles (26 wins at CSU in 2024), sold Tyson on opportunity: “You’re our alpha wing. No depth chart logjam.” A May 10 visit to Minneapolis sealed it—touring the revamped Williams Arena, bonding over faith (both devout Christians), and dissecting film with assistants who raved about his Belmont tape. “Niko gets guys,” a source said. “He told Cade, ‘We’ll build around your shot.'”
The commitment dropped like a thunderclap at 2:17 p.m. ET Sunday, via Tyson’s IG: a graphic of him in Gophers gear, captioned “Maroon & Gold. Sioux Falls to Minneapolis. Let’s eat! #SkiUMah.” Zagsblog confirmed moments later; Medved followed with an official release by 4 p.m. “Cade’s a versatile sniper who’ll impact us Day 1,” the coach gushed. “His 42% career three-point shooting? That’s championship spacing.”
Reactions poured in like a torrent. UNC faithful, still licking wounds from a portal exodus that claimed Jalen Washington to Vanderbilt and Seth Trimble to… well, nowhere yet, vented fury. “Hubert’s recruiting another bust? Fire sale continues,” tweeted @TarHeelBlueBlood, a 20K-follower staple. X exploded with #TysonToMinn trending in the Carolinas, amassing 8,000 posts in hours—half despair, half schadenfreude from rivals. Duke fans piled on: “From Dean Dome to… who cares? LOL.”
Big Ten observers? Stunned but intrigued. “Medved just pulled a heist,” posted ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. “Tyson at Minnesota is like finding a Ferrari in a junkyard.” Gopher Nation, dormant since Richard Pitino’s 2017 NCAA bid, erupted in glee. “From 15 wins to Final Four? Sign me up,” crowed @GopherHoopsFan on Reddit, where a thread hit 2K upvotes. Medved’s portal haul—now nine deep, including guards Chansey Willis Jr. from Detroit Mercy and Bobby Durkin from Monmouth—suddenly looks contender-caliber. With Dawson Garcia returning (another ex-Tar Heel, ironically), Tyson slots as a starter, projected for 14-16 points on 40%+ threes.
For Tyson, it’s redemption roulette. At 21, with one eligibility year left, he bets on volume over prestige. “I need to play, not sit,” he told Zagsblog pre-commitment. “Minnesota lets me be me—shoot, rebound, lead.” His brother Hunter, averaging 8.2 points off the Nuggets bench, texted congratulations: “Proud of you, lil bro. Ball out.” Scouts whisper second-round NBA stock if he recaptures Belmont form; bust again, and draft dreams fade.
Broader ripples? This underscores the portal’s chaos—players flipping scripts faster than coaches can scout. For Davis, it’s another scar: UNC’s 2024 class, once heralded, now a revolving door. Recruiting dips; five-stars like Ian Jackson eye USC. Medved? He’s the offseason’s sly fox, turning a laughingstock into a sleeper. As one agent put it, “Cade’s the spark. Watch Minnesota climb to 20 wins easy.”
No pressers yet—Medved’s set for Monday, Tyson arrives summer’s end. But in a sport of endless upheaval, this commitment stands as a shocking reminder: Logos lose to opportunity. The Gophers, long forgotten, just grabbed the headlines. And college hoops? It’s weirder—and wilder—than ever.
*(Word count: 1,012. Reporting draws on sources including On3, 247Sports, Sports-Reference, and program releases. Follow Zagsblog for portal updates.)*
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