NICKNAME/S: The Elevator

BIO: Clarence Tyson was born in Topeka, Kansas (USA).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Clarence Tyson made his NBL debut with the Townsville Suns at 25 years of age. He scored 38 points in his first game.

Townsville’s 1995 season opened amid major turnover, with the club saying goodbye to captain Graham Kubank (retired) and imports Darryl Johnson and Ricky Jones—Jones leaving as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

The Suns kept much of their core intact—Cameron Dickinson, David Blades, and Jason Cameron—and introduced a fresh import tandem of Derek Rucker (via Newcastle) and Clarence Tyson, plus veteran forward Shane Froling (via Brisbane) to fill Kubank’s frontcourt void.

The new look was on display immediately, even in a 106–116 defeat to Brisbane. Focus player Clarence Tyson dominated with 38 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks on 15-of-20 shooting, while Rucker posted 28 points, 9 assists, and 4 steals—early proof the duo could drive Townsville’s offense.

A five-game skid followed before the Suns finally broke through 105–104 over Sydney. Rucker exploded for 42 points, and Tyson’s interior steadiness (19 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks in 47:25) helped close it out for the first win of the year.

Another five-game slide dropped Townsville to 2–10, but momentum flipped with a 108–97 home win against Gold Coast, where Rucker (32 points, 7 assists), Dickinson (20 points), and Tyson (17 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks) combined for 69 points and a much-needed spark.

Down the stretch, highlights included a 116–115 upset of Melbourne—Rucker starred (43 points, 10 assists) and Tyson delivered a classic two-way line (20 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, 4 assists, 2 steals)—plus back-to-back Tyson masterclasses of 37 points in a win over Canberra and a narrow loss to Illawarra.

Mid-season, Rucker and Tyson were selected to play in the NBL All-Star game in Adelaide, who Tyson also participating in the dunk competition.

Some oldschool NBL Dunk Comp highlights #straightfromthetapes pic.twitter.com/8GqXQ3x4wm— RANDOM HOOPS (@HoopsRandom) May 23, 2024

Derek Rucker (30.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 2.5 steals) took over as captain and claimed club MVP, while Clarence Tyson (24.6 points, 14.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.7 blocks), Cameron Dickinson (20 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals), Shane Froling (7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists), and Jason Cameron (7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals) rounded out the key contributors.

Despite encouraging signs, Townsville’s depth scoring remained thin—outside the top trio of Rucker, Tyson, and Dickinson, no other player averaged more than eight points per game. Even so, the Suns finished the run home at 7–7 and closed the year 9–17, missing the playoffs for the third year in a row.

Tyson’s season was all about volume and reliability: he led the team on the glass (14.7 rpg), delivered marquee outings (38 vs Brisbane; 37 vs Canberra and 37 vs Illawarra), and anchored both ends inside. Honors included All-NBL Third Team for Tyson and an All-NBL Second Team selection plus club MVP for Rucker, underscoring how the new pairing reshaped Townsville’s identity and competitiveness.

1996
Townsville brought back nearly the entire 1995 roster, with the lone notable tweak seeing Grant Kruger (via Newcastle) replace Lucas Agrums (released). Built around the headline trio of captain Derek Rucker, Clarence Tyson, and Cameron Dickinson—and fresh off the club’s best year to date—expectations were high. For Clarence Tyson, the remit was simple: control the paint, own the glass, and set a defensive tone that let the guards run.

The template stayed familiar—Rucker setting pace, Tyson bending defenses at the rim, Dickinson stretching the floor—and when those levers aligned, the Suns could overwhelm opponents.

After heavy early losses to Perth (89–103) and Adelaide (77–117), Townsville responded with a statement against Hobart (123–94), riding big nights from Dickinson (30 points), Rucker (28 points, 8 rebounds, and 13 assists), and Tyson (24 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 steals). Tyson’s rim pressure and second-chance work set the platform as the Suns blew the game open after halftime.

A three-game losing streak followed—including a stumble at Gold Coast (99–102) and back-to-back defeats to Melbourne—before the Suns steadied with wins over North Melbourne (97–95) and at Brisbane (104–89). In the Bullets result, the one-two punch landed flush: Rucker (35 points and 16 assists) ran the show while Tyson bullied the interior (30 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists).

Tyson (39 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 assists in 48:00) recorded a season high in late June, facing off against Canberra. Another big game included his 23 points and 22 rebounds effort against Geelong on August 24.

The run home finally clicked. Townsville outgunned Illawarra (130–122) behind Tyson (31 points, 19 rebounds, and 2 blocks) producing another monster game. Then manhandled Newcastle (114–100) with 26 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, and when the Suns knocked off playoff-bound Canberra (103–100), he filled the stat sheet 14 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

The broader pattern held across the year: when Rucker and Tyson cleared 60 combined, the Suns were a tough out; when they didn’t, opportunists like Gold Coast (twice) and Geelong capitalized. The final ledger settled at (9–17) in 11th, but the late surge—and Tyson’s week-to-week dominance—hinted at a workable blueprint.

Individually, the top end again shouldered the load. Clarence Tyson (22.8 points, 14.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks) led the NBL on the glass and took home the club MVP. Derek Rucker (26.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.6 steals) drove tempo and late-clock creation, while Cameron Dickinson (20.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 steals) finished as the team’s premier local scorer. Around them, Keiron Mitchelhill (7.2 ppg), Shane Froling (7.2 ppg), and Grant Kruger (5.8 ppg) rounded out the core rotation as Townsville closed the season playing its most cohesive basketball.

1996
After finishing 11th with a 9-17 record in 1996, Townsville returned under head coach Mark Bragg with captain Derek Rucker, Clarence Tyson, Jason Cameron, Grant Kruger, Keiron Mitchelhill and Shane Froling. Cameron Dickinson (to Sydney) and David Blades (retired) departed, while the Suns took advantage of Geelong and Gold Coast leaving the competition to add Simon Kerle (via Geelong) and Tony De Ambrosis (via Gold Coast).

Townsville opened against Melbourne at the Entertainment Centre, where Tyson (24 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists), Rucker (23 points, 6 rebounds, and 12 assists) and De Ambrosis (21 points and 8 rebounds) kept the Suns close before Andrew Gaze (37 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals) led the Tigers to a 115-113 victory.

Tyson (22 points and 13.7 rebounds across 25 games) remained one of the NBL’s dominant interior players and Townsville’s second major offensive option alongside Rucker. His highest-scoring game of the season came in Round 2 against defending champion South East Melbourne, where Tyson made 13-of-20 field goals and finished with 34 points, 19 rebounds, and 2 steals. Rucker (22 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals) and Kerle (15 points) provided the main support, while Brian Tolbert (17 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals) led the Magic as Townsville won 104-86.

The victory started Townsville’s strongest opening stretch since joining the NBL, with wins over Brisbane and Sydney following to move the Suns to 3-1. Tyson remained central to that run as Townsville established an inside-out combination around his rebounding and finishing, Rucker’s playmaking and the additional perimeter scoring provided by Kerle.

Another major result came against eventual champion Melbourne on May 16. Tyson (24 points and 13 rebounds) and Kerle (24 points) controlled the scoring around Rucker (20 points, 6 rebounds, 13 assists, and 2 steals) as Townsville routed the Tigers 119-95 at the Entertainment Centre. Gaze (32 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) was Melbourne’s leading performer.

Townsville remained in the playoff race through the middle of the season and reached late August at 14-10 and fifth on the ladder, leaving the club needing only one victory from its final six games to secure its first NBL playoff appearance. Tyson continued to control the glass throughout that climb and finished the season as the league’s leading rebounder.

Rucker (25.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 7.6 assists, and 2.6 steals across 30 games) finished second in the NBL in both scoring and assists and third in steals. Kerle (16.7 points and 4.1 assists across 30 games) immediately became Townsville’s third major offensive option, while Cameron (12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals across 30 games) produced the highest-scoring season of his career. De Ambrosis (11.4 points and 5.5 rebounds across 28 games) also made an immediate impact after arriving from Gold Coast, with Kruger (6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds across 29 games) providing further frontcourt depth.

Townsville’s season changed in early September when Tyson suffered a season-ending knee injury in Canberra. With its leading rebounder unavailable, the Suns signed Chris Sneed (15.7 points and 7.3 rebounds across 3 games) from the state league as an emergency import replacement, but Townsville lost all six of its remaining games. Despite playing only 25 games, Tyson led the NBL at 13.7 rebounds per game and joined Rucker on the All-NBL First Team.

The Suns entered their September 26 finale against Perth still with a chance to reach the postseason. Tyson remained sidelined as Rucker (36 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals), Kerle (20 points) and Sneed (16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block) carried Townsville, while Todd Lichti (25 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) led the Wildcats to a 102-100 victory. The loss completed Townsville’s six-game slide and left the Suns eighth with a 14-16 record, one victory short of their first NBL playoff appearance.

MELBOURNE TIGERS
2000/01
The Tigers would see several new faces join the squad this season after losing both Bennett Davison (to Europe) and Warrick Giddey to injury. David Smith (via North Melbourne), Stephen Hoare (via West Sydney) and Nathan Taylor (via Victoria). Guard Phil Handy was signed as a import replacement for Bennett Davison, and Melbourne began the season winning five of their first eight matches.

Around this time, Phil Handy (10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) joined Giddey on the injury list (missing eight games), so Jason Sedlock (3.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) was signed as an injury replacement during Handy’s absence. At the mid-way point of the season, Melbourne received the bonus of long-serving guard Lanard Copeland gaining his Australian citizenship and qualifying as a local player. To take advantage of that, Melbourne used the additional import spot to sign former Townsville star Clarence Tyson (3.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) for the remaining 14 games.

This season saw Daniel Egan (11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 blocks) develop into a key part of the Tiger’s rotation, Copeland (20.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.0 steals) continue to score buckets as Gaze (29.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.8 assists) finished as the league’s highest scorer and Mark Bradtke (21.3 points, 14.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks) led the league in rebounds while also being selected to the All-NBL First team.

With Melbourne entering their final ten games, they sat just outside the top six and with Lindsey Gaze trying to balance the incoming talent with the Tigers’ existing core, they went on a five-game losing streak to drop out of the playoff race. A three-game winning streak to end the season came too late, and Melbourne finished in seventh spot (13-15), missing out on the playoffs by three wins. This would be the first time Melbourne would finish with a losing record and miss the playoffs since 1988.

2000/01
The Tigers would see several new faces join the squad this season after losing both Bennett Davison (to Europe) and Warrick Giddey to injury. David Smith (via North Melbourne), Stephen Hoare (via West Sydney) and Nathan Taylor (via Victoria). Guard Phil Handy was signed as a import replacement for Bennett Davison, and Melbourne began the season winning five of their first eight matches.

Around this time, Phil Handy (10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) joined Giddey on the injury list (missing eight games), so Jason Sedlock (3.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) was signed as an injury replacement during Handy’s absence. At the mid-way point of the season, Melbourne received the bonus of long-serving guard Lanard Copeland gaining his Australian citizenship and qualifying as a local player. To take advantage of that, Melbourne used the additional import spot to sign former Townsville star Clarence Tyson (3.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) for the remaining 14 games.

This season saw Daniel Egan (11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 blocks) develop into a key part of the Tiger’s rotation, Copeland (20.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.0 steals) continue to score buckets as Gaze (29.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.8 assists) finished as the league’s highest scorer and Mark Bradtke (21.3 points, 14.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks) led the league in rebounds while also being selected to the All-NBL First team.

With Melbourne entering their final ten games, they sat just outside the top six and with Lindsey Gaze trying to balance the incoming talent with the Tigers’ existing core, they went on a five-game losing streak to drop out of the playoff race. A three-game winning streak to end the season came too late, and Melbourne finished in seventh spot (13-15), missing out on the playoffs by three wins. This would be the first time Melbourne would finish with a losing record and miss the playoffs since 1988.

Clarence Tyson played four seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Townsville Suns and the Melbourne Tigers. He averaged 20 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 89 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 9th in rebounds per game.