Elizaville’s Tyler Lydon Leads Syracuse to the Elite Eight

Syracuse men's basketball is heading for their seventh Elite Eight since 1985, and a big part of the Orangemen's success this season comes from a freshman from Columbia County.

Elizaville's Tyler Lydon was one of the heroes in Syracuse's 63-60 win over Gonzaga Friday night. Lydon blocked a shot from Josh Perkins of Gonzaga in the final seconds to seal the tenth seeded Orangemen's victory. It was one of six blocks the Hudson Valley native had in the game

Lydon has come up big all season. This year, he's averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, a team-high 1.6 blocks, and has brought a ton of energy and enthusiasm to a team competing in the always tough Atlantic Coast Conference.

Certainly, no small feat for a freshman at a major Division I school.

In high school, Tyler committed to play for elite New Hampton Prep after previously attending Pine Plains. As a senior, he helped lead New Hampton Prep to a 21-9 record. The 6'8'' forward ranked 74th overall among the nation in the Class of 2015 by ESPN.com. He could very well have a future in the NBA someday.

Lydon is humble though. He's considers himself a small town country boy who loves family, the outdoors, hunting, and fishing.

Tyler's not the only basketball player in his family either. His older brother Zach is 6'9'', and plays for Cortland State. His mother Susan once played Dutchess Community College.

Syracuse is considered somewhat of a Cinderella story this year. Some did not believe they should have been selected to play in the tournament at all. The team was only 19-13 entering March Madness, and had to rally in the final three minutes in their win over Gonzaga.

Now, they face their biggest test as the Orangemen face Virginia, who are the number one seed in the Midwest Region.  The schools will play Sunday evening at 6:09 p.m. at the United Center in Chicago.