Syracuse Basketball: Success At NBA Draft Is Pretty Well Documented

Now that Tyler Lydon has become the latest Syracuse basketball player to make it to the NBA via the NBA Draft, let’s step back in time for a bit.

While there’s ample evidence that the SU hoops program doesn’t have a ton of guys currently flourishing in the pros, you can’t ignore the squad’s recent feats on NBA draft night. Look, I don’t want to overstep. The ‘Cuse is never going to get on the same level as bluebloods like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina. But in that second tier, the Orange is – no pun intended – crushing it.

On a Thursday evening, former Syracuse star Tyler Lydon (and his infamous but presently unavailable mustache, Rico) got picked 24^th in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets.

Per a Syracuse.com report, SU has landed one of its own in the first round for six straight years (with perhaps Tyus Battle or Taurean Thompson extending it to seven in 12 months). Only Duke and Kentucky have longer active streaks, says that article. No Kansas, North Carolina, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Gonzaga, Louisville, Michigan State, Oregon, UCLA, Villanova, Virginia, etc. I think you get my drift.

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"Here’s a short list of the players Syracuse has had selected in the first round of the NBA draft in the last six years:2017 – Tyler Lydon, 24th2016 – Malachi Richardson, 22nd2015 – Chris McCullough, 29th2014 – Tyler Ennis, 18th2013 – Michael Carter-Williams, 11th2012 – Dion Waiters, 4th; Fab Melo, 22nd"

Taking it even further, our beloved Orange have secured a first-rounder in 9 out of the last 10 NBA drafts. That, my friends, is darn impressive.

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Since 2000, which is when I graduated from the ‘Cuse, more than 20 SU studs have heard their names called in either the first or second round, according to realgm.com. I can imagine the retort from certain Syracuse faithful. Sure, we get players drafted, but how many of them have actually gone on to stellar NBA careers?

The truth is, not a whole lot. And my response is, so what? Head coach Jim Boeheim, in his more than 40 years at the helm, along with his numerous assistants, have produced a system in Central New York that clearly works for them. They develop and groom talent. Some folks leave early for the pros, but most of them stay around for three or four seasons.

If that system, including its 2-3 zone defense, didn’t work, then I don’t think so many ‘Cuse team members would be taken in the NBA draft. However, JB’s boys in recent campaigns have been excellent and hence were worthy of their selection. Should they not endure lasting prominence in the NBA, is that Boeheim’s fault? I would argue emphatically “no,” but I’ve read a bevy of stories that suggest Boeheim & Co. do not adequately prepare their prospects for the pros. That’s fine. We can agree to disagree.

Whether Lydon will light it up for the Nuggets will remain unclear for some time. Although, plenty of opinions are already out there. Some optimistic, others not so much.

Tom Crean, recently fired by Indiana as its head coach, had lucidly choice words about Lydon. Honestly, screw Crean. I’ll root for Lydon like every other Syracuse luminary in the NBA because that’s what we do. If you want to get your blood boiling though, check out Crean’s words on Yahoo’s video around the 3:42:30 mark.

A lot of Orange fans hated on Lydon for bolting early to the pros. These same fans often complain about our recruiting misses, our NIT appearance in March, and a couple of slightly down terms following 2009-2014, which is what I consider the golden annals of SU basketball.

Stop whining. We’ve still reached Final Fours twice in five stanzas. Boeheim will get caught on national television picking, well, you know, “winners” for at least a few more years.

Next: Where He Went Didn’t Matter, Tyler Lydon Did The Right Thing

Oh, and there’s this: a piece published on June 22 by Cheatsheet.com listed the top 25 colleges ranked by the number of players from each school to see action in a minimum of one NBA affair.

Checking in at No. 9 is the ‘Cuse, with 43. Which university is No. 25, with just 28? That’s right. You guessed it: Georgetown. As you can see, things really aren’t so bad. And on that juicy note, I’ll end this post.

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