Tyler Lydon, a 6-foot-9, 190-pound small forward from New Hampton (N.H.), verbally committed to Syracuse Thursday night.
A native of Pine Plains, N.Y., Lydon is ranked No. 77 in the Class of 2015 by Rivals. He chose the Orange over Boston College, Florida, Wake Forest, Iowa, Minnesota and Vanderbilt.
“Everything about it,” Lydon told the Poughkeepsie Journal when asked what he likes about the school. “It’s close to home. Just the way they play and the coaching staff. Other schools recruited me really hard.
“[Coach Jim] Boeheim’s been to quite a few of my games over the summer. My relationship with him is pretty good.”
Jim Hart, Lydon’s coach with the Albany City Rocks, also coached Syracuse sophomore big man DaJuan Coleman.
“Tyler Lydon is a rare blend of height, skill, athleticism and toughness,” Hart told SNY.tv. “At 6-9 he gets off the floor quickly and plays well above the rim. He has excellent range and rhythm in his jump shot that stretches beyond the 3-point line.
“Although he needs to add weight and strength, he is a fearless competitor that backs down to no one. With two years left before entering Syracuse, Tyler will be more than ready to contribute right away. Already a Top 100 prospect, look for Tyler to crack the Top 25 nationally soon.”
Lydon is Syracuse’s first 2015 pledge, but he is the third player named Tyler to pledge in the last two seasons, joining 2013 point guard Tyler Ennis and 2013 forward Tyler Roberson.