Loyola men’s basketball senior Tyson Commander recently chatted with PressBox about playing for head coach Josh Loeffler, the advice he’d give to younger players and more. The 6-foot-4, 202-pound guard averaged 5.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game for the Greyhounds in 2024-25. Commander is a native of Belcamp, Md., and graduate of John Carroll.
PressBox: How did you first become interested in basketball?
Tyson Commander: It started at an early age, always being around it with my dad, [Tim], watching it, playing it. We had the little hoop in the house, just always around. It was the most fun. We watched a lot of NBA. I always looked up to those players.
PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
TC: Really, my dad. I always wanted to beat him and learn his moves and stuff like that. As I got older, I started watching a lot of shooters. I like watching all the shooters. My favorite player’s Steph Curry. I like Ray Allen. Players that can shoot, I like.
PB: What are your favorite memories from your time at John Carroll?
TC: My favorite memories are definitely the people. I went there with a lot of people I grew up with, so it’s just fun being able to experience high school with them.
PB: Why did you choose to go to Loyola?
TC: I knew the coaching staff and I actually knew a couple of the players already. I thought it would be a good fit for me, and it’s also close to home.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about Loyola?
TC: Just like I said with John Carroll, it’s the people. A lot of the connections that you create, it’s always the people rather than the place.
PB: Why did you choose to stick around after a coaching change in 2024?
TC: It was definitely a confusing time, but once I got to know the coach, I really liked a lot of the values that he had, so I decided to stick around. A couple of my teammates left, but we did keep a good group of guys and I liked the group of guys we were with, so that also played a part.
PB: What are some of head coach Josh Loeffler’s values?
TC: He does whatever he has to do to win. He cares about us all, but he makes the right decisions when it comes to actual basketball on the court. He’s honest with us. That’s one thing I really love about him. Even if it’s something we don’t want to hear, he tells us the truth.
PB: Given that this marks your fourth year of college ball and second year in Loeffler’s system, could your senior season be a breakout year for you?
TC: I understand the system. I understand what he wants out of me. I understand what my teammates need out of me. I’ve been working. Everybody’s been working hard this summer. I think we’re going to have a good year.
PB: What does Loeffler expect out of you?
TC: He expects me to, No. 1, lead the new guys. We did get a lot of new guys. They’re learning fast, but they still need some leading. He wants me to defend as hard as I can. He wants me to be aggressive on offense.
PB: As a senior, are you taking on a leadership role of passing down Loeffler’s expectations to the new players?
TC: A couple of us got the leadership role, but I feel like our new guys have been making it easy on us because they’re learning quick and they’re hungry. They’re working hard. We’re leading them, but they’re going out to get it. It’s not hard.
PB: Who did you look up to early in your college career?
TC: Early in my college career, I would probably say Jaylin Andrews because I already knew him before I got here. We were in the same high school league. We were good friends before. He took me along. He was showing me different things on and off the court about college. He just made it an easy transition for me.
PB: What advice would you give to younger players?
TC: In high school, I would say just put the work in as much as you can. You’ve also got to have fun with it. High school is kind of your last time where it doesn’t feel like a job, in a sense, so you’ve got to have fun with it. Once they get to college, my No. 1 advice is always on time is late. You always just want to be early to things, make sure you’re ahead of schedule.
PB: What are your goals for after basketball, whenever it ends?
TC: I love fashion. I love marketing, sales and things like that. I would look into that field when I’m done playing basketball.
Photo Credit: Larry French
Issue 295: October / November 2025
Originally published Oct. 15, 2025