Hunter Tyson had three options heading into the offseason. The way Clemson’s senior forward saw it, though, only two of them were viable.
Tyson said he couldn’t envision himself playing college basketball anywhere else, so transferring never crossed his mind if chose to stay in school. But having already spent four years at Clemson – and with a degree in hand – Tyson could have opted to get started on life after college. When Tyson was recognized as part of the Senior Day festivities during the Tigers’ home finale against Virginia Tech, it led to assumptions that this past season may be it for Tyson in a Clemson uniform.
But Tyson said he simply wasn’t ready for his ride at Clemson to be over.
“It just comes down to my teammates and coaches and the relationships I’ve built over the past few years,” Tyson said. “I wasn’t ready to leave Clemson yet, so I want to give it one last run. I’m really excited about next year and the success I believe we can have.”
Tyson made his decision official when he announced via social media late last month that he would be using his COVID year to return to Clemson for a fifth season, giving the Tigers a much-needed boost heading into the offseason. A two-year starter, Tyson averaged 10 points and 5.5 rebounds in 25 games while shooting nearly 47% from the field this past season, though his running mate in the frontcourt, PJ Hall, said Tyson’s impact on the roster goes beyond the stat sheet.
“The experience he has,” Hall said. “The mental toughness, the physical toughness, the determination, it’s literally the full package. He’s a great player and also a great teammate. Whether we’re in 6 a.m. (workouts) or a late practice, he’s always the loudest one in the gym. He’s making sure everybody’s doing their thing, so he’s definitely a huge leader for us.”
Tyson still finished as the Tigers’ fourth-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder despite missing eight consecutive games with a broken collarbone he sustained against Florida State on Feb. 2. Clemson lost the first six games it played without Tyson during that stretch, making for its longest losing streak of the season.
Tyson returned to action against Georgia Tech on March 2 and played in the Tigers’ final four games, averaging 7.7 points in those contests. He scored 12 points in the season finale against Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament.
It’s not the first time Tyson has had to push through pain to get on the court during his time at Clemson. During his junior season, the 6-foot-8, 215-pounder fractured a bone in his face during the non-conference portion of Clemson’s schedule that forced him to miss a handful of games. Upon returning to action that season, he wore a protective facemask.
And before sustaining the collarbone injury this past season, Tyson also sprained both of his ankles. Hall said his teammate still isn’t completely healed from all of his ailments, but there’s plenty of time for that. Tyson said he just hopes he’s able to stay away from the injury bug once his final season as a Tiger begins in November.
“It’d be awesome,” Tyson said. “I really hope that’s the case next year.”
While Tyson would like to show what he’s fully capable with the help of an injury-free season, he reiterated his primary reason for returning to Clemson was simple. The potential of the holdovers from this past season’s roster mixed with the Tigers’ three incoming freshmen and at least one transfer (former Princeton guard Jaelin Llewellyn) is appealing to Tyson, who played on Clemson’s most recent NCAA Tournament team in 2021.
With the Tigers missing the postseason all together this past season, Tyson has experienced both ends of the spectrum during his time at Clemson. He’s got one last chance to help Clemson inject some momentum back into the program.
“Really I think I just wasn’t ready to leave because I wanted to go out on a better note,” Tyson said. “I have a lot of confidence in my teammates and the coaching staff this coming year. So I really just wanted to give it one last push, give it everything I had for one last year and hopefully have a really successful season.”
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