Ok, Ok, he has played just 4 games in college. But the true freshman Tyler Lydon is looking the part of a legit big man that can give the Orange some big time minutes. Sure, Lydon is still probably a little thin both physically and in experience. But he is also the best big man option the Orange has right now.
On the offensive end, he extends the defense and forces the other team to guard a big man out near the perimeter. He can knock down the three, and he can play near the rim, getting offensive boards and putting the ball back up.
Defensively, he is far and away the best low post player Syracuse can use, and he is obviously the best option in the middle of the 2-3 zone. From Jesse Doughery of the Daily Orange, “Since the start of the 2010 season, four Syracuse players have blocked six shots in a game for a total of 13 times. Fab Melo did it five times, Rakeem Christmas four, Rick Jackson three times, and now Lydon once. It took the freshman forward just four career games to accomplish the feat.”
Lydon is an incredibly active defender. He has blocked at least one shot, and recorded at least one steal in all four games this season. He has picked up at least 6 rebounds in each of his four games as well.
Coming in to the year, I think we felt Malachi Richardson would be a huge factor on the team, but we weren’t as sure about Lydon. So far, he has been great, doing exactly what the Orange need out of him.
And given the inconsistency of Tyler Roberson, and the fact that DaJuan Coleman still looks injured—or just lost any burst that he had—means that Lydon is all the more important. He has already taken minutes away from both DaJuan and Roberson, playing in 26 or more minutes in all four games. And he played just 26 in SU’s big win over Charlotte yesterday.
Lydon has taken over the top spot in the SU frontcourt, even if he doesn’t start. As we know, that isn’t what is important to Jim Boeheim or the SU staff. Its about who is on the court at the end of the game which is more important, and more often, it has been Lydon on the floor at the end than Coleman.
Posted By: Seth Goldberg
