Syracuse Basketball: Tyler Lydon provides versatility for Boeheim’s Army

Former Syracuse basketball player Tyler Lydon will suit up for Boeheim’s Army for the first time this summer, assuming The Basketball Tournament transpires.

Tyler Lydon, a key member of the Syracuse basketball squad that went on a magical journey to the Final Four in 2016, is the newest member of Boeheim’s Army, the Orange-based crew revealed via Twitter on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-10 power forward, a first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, is the second former ‘Cuse guy to commit to Boeheim’s Army, which is slated to compete in the $2 million, winner-take-all The Basketball Tournament (“TBT”) this summer.

Eric Devendorf, a 6-foot-4 combo guard who has competed for Boeheim’s Army in every one of its TBT entries, will continue that streak. Boeheim’s Army announced on April 10 from its Twitter page that Devendorf will play in the 2020 TBT.

It’s likely that Boeheim’s Army could unveil additional pieces of its roster in the near future, so we’ll keep an eye on that. At this juncture, the TBT is still planning to occur in late July through early August, according to tournament officials, although the novel coronavirus pandemic could certainly alter things, as it has for many other sporting events of late.

In getting Devendorf and Lydon on board, Boeheim’s Army has two studs who can both shoot the rock extremely well from deep. Devendorf is an aggressive driver to the hoop, a floor general, and a leader.

Lydon, meanwhile, is a talented stretch-four who can score in the interior and out on the perimeter. He’s also a proficient passer and rebounder.

Undeniably, Boeheim’s Army has a pair of gems in these two former Syracuse stars. “We’ll be able to have lineups out there where all five guys can shoot from 3, which in a tournament like this will make you very hard to guard and frankly we have never had before,” Kevin Belbey, the general manager of Boeheim’s Army, said in a piece from Donna Ditota of Syracuse.com.

https://twitter.com/BoeheimsArmy/status/1250092813976514560

During the 2016 March Madness, his freshman campaign, Lydon did some extraordinary deeds, like blocking a shot in the waning seconds of the Orange’s Sweet 16 triumph over Gonzaga, and connecting on a 3-pointer without one of his shoes on as the ‘Cuse mounted an epic comeback to knock off top-seeded Virginia in the Elite Eight.

In his sophomore term, Lydon hit nearly 40 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc, while averaging 13.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest, for a Syracuse team that unfortunately just missed reaching the NCAA Tournament, and then Lydon turned pro.

At the NBA level, he played two seasons for the Denver Nuggets, after which he signed a deal with the Sacramento Kings, but Sacramento waived Lydon last fall. Per Ditota, “Since then, Lydon and his representatives have mulled various options.”

Boeheim’s Army will greatly benefit from having Lydon on its roster. This group has made several deep runs in the TBT but has yet to capture the grand prize.

The Syracuse area will host one of the tournament’s regional sites. The SRC Arena, on the campus of Onondaga Community College, is expected to entertain TBT encounters from July 31 to August 2.

TBT’s championship week, encompassing the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the title tilt, is scheduled for the University of Dayton Arena from August 6 until August 11.