Tyson longs for Texas return
Stuck at home near Seattle, guard works to stay connected
The day after the University of Houston’s basketball season was officially canceled, Cameron Tyson boarded a plane for the long trip home to Seattle. More than four months later, he’s still there, a personal decision made by Tyson and his family as a surge of coronavirus infections continues in the U.S.
“I’m not really trying to contract the virus because it has some very serious symptoms,” Tyson, a redshirt sophomore guard, said during a telephone interview earlier this offseason. “I don’t want all that.”
As the Cougars resumed summer workouts July 20, Tyson and redshirt sophomore guard Caleb Mills were the only players not to report, both given permission by coach Kelvin Sampson to remain with family.
Tyson lives in Bothell, Wash., 20 minutes outside Seattle in King County, one of the hardest hit areas during the early stages of COVID-19. Mills remains in North Carolina after a couple family members tested positive.
Sampson does not expect Tyson or Mills to rejoin the team until the fall semester begins Aug. 24.
Tyson said he made the decision to return home almost immediately after the cancellation of the American Athletic Conference tournament and subsequently the NCAA Tournament, which the Cougars were a shoo-in to make for the third straight year.
Tyson estimates only “seven or eight people” were on the three-hourplus flight from Houston to
Seattle.
“There was so much uncertainty with school shutting down and spring break. Nobody knew what was going to happen in terms of the coronavirus,” Tyson said. “Everything was about to get shut down.”
Once home, Tyson was greeted by tight quarantine measures put in place to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. An early hotspot for COVID-19, Washington state appeared to hit a peak in mid-April but has seen a recent surge in cases in the past three weeks, according to data provided by state health officials.
“The first month I was home, it was pretty scary seeing the numbers,” Tyson said.
Tyson said he’s grateful for the support from Sampson, who has allowed him to stay with family and not rush back to campus.
“It shows how much he respects that I’m working hard and doesn’t have to question that,” Tyson said. “It goes a long way. I’ve built that relationship with coach Sampson. It does mean a lot at the end of the day.”
Throughout the shutdown, Tyson has remained engaged with the team, joining virtual team meetings and staying in touch with teammates.
A particularly emotional moment came during a team discussion shortly after the death of George Floyd, the Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25. The killing sparked protests around the world amid calls to address police violence and systemic racism.
Sampson sent out a text message to players and staff offering a “platform to educate” and opportunity to share their emotions. Nearly two dozen UH players and staffers attended a public viewing of Floyd in Houston.
Tyson sent a lengthy text to Sampson, who did not share the details but said “it was his emotions coming out.”
“It’s something I feel like has been a problem in the United States for a long time,” Tyson said when asked about the text message. “Ever since I’ve been alive, racism and police brutality is still around. It’s something that needs to change. That’s something I expressed in the text message to him. There are just so many innocent African American lives that have been taken at the hands of the police. To me, I just see that as unacceptable.”
Tyson said he was “caught off-guard” by Sampson opening such a sensitive topic for discussion.
“Wow, he does really care about this,” Tyson said. “It’s bigger than basketball with him.”
Tyson has reason to be eager to rejoin the Cougars. After sitting out last season following a transfer from Idaho, the 6-2 guard is eligible and will be counted on as a 3-point threat in a talented guard rotation. In his only season at Idaho, Tyson averaged 13.5 points in 32 games, setting a school freshman scoring record (432 points) and Big Sky Conference mark for 3-pointers by a freshman (106).
For the time being, Tyson said he has continued his workout routine and shooting regimen for the upcoming season.
Being away from teammates has been the tough part.
“I can’t wait to get back and see those guys,” he said. “I can’t wait to be out there with my guys and really suit up in a Houston uniform and put on for the city.”