As the preseason accolades piled up for Tyler Lydon, so did the hype. Naismith Player of the Year watch list. All-ACC preseason second team. The Big Lead even dubbed Lydon as the ninth-best player in all of college basketball.

But awards based on no production has resulted in exactly that: No production. Lydon is through two exhibition games and Friday’s 83-55 win for No. 19 Syracuse (1-0) without making a 3-pointer. He dropped in only two points against Colgate (0-1), giving him 22 total through three contests this year.

Luckily for Lydon, his teammates — some more unexpected than others — have helped fill the void. Tyus Battle led the Orange with 16 points off the bench in an exhibition two weeks ago. Andrew White stole the show on Tuesday with 24 points against Le Moyne. On Friday it was Tyler Roberson, bullying past the Raiders’ interior defense to drop 18 points. Lydon, meanwhile, converted only 1-of-6 scoring tries in 26 minutes.

“He’s not making his shots,” SU head coach Jim Boeheim said. “… He’s not really getting a lot of looks … I think we have to do a better job of getting him something around the basket.”

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MORE COVERAGE:

• What we learned from Syracuse’s win over Colgate
• Tyler Roberson put up a game-high 18 points
• Frank Howard has Jim Boeheim’s green light

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Roberson consumed most of the opportunities inside, so Lydon stayed away. He tucked himself into the corner in front of Colgate’s bench, twice clanking 3-point attempts in the first six minutes. He got a reprieve with 11 minutes to go in the first half, charging through the lane to collect his first — and only — points of the night.

Last year Lydon could blend in with powerful scoring threats like Malachi Richardson and Michael Gbinije. He didn’t even start, shouldering only sixth-man responsibilities. Heading into this season however, there was no question about his place on the team. He’s supposed to anchor the offense, arguably as its most versatile player. It’s yet to come to fruition.

“Clearly there’s a slump, but you just have to keep shooting the ball,” Lydon said. “… I’ve been putting up countless shots before practice, after, whatever it might be, I’ve been working on it.

“It’s just a mental thing, I just got to let it go and shoot with confidence.”

To Lydon’s credit, his offensive struggles haven’t carried over on defense. While Dajuan Coleman and Paschal Chukwu were shuttled on and off the court in accord with their individual struggles, Lydon filled in at center. He tied for second-most rebounds on the team with six, and led both squads with three blocks.

But with the ball in his hands, the narrative reads differently. There’s more than enough time for the NBA hopeful to stitch his game back together. He’s just not living up to the mile-high expectations yet, ones that could bring a bevy of awards if he meets them.

“I think when you get all those preseason accolades, it’s natural for you to put a little pressure on yourself,” Andrew White said. “I think he’s pressing just a little bit. But, we have guys that can help him.

“… He’s our guy. He’s one of the cornerstones of what we’re doing and we’re going to rely on him going forward.”

Published on November 12, 2016 at 10:17 am

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