The circle of reporters around Michael Gbinije fanned out so far that Tyler Lydon couldn’t even get dressed at his own locker. He had just posted a near double-double against Duke, but the freshman stood near the entrance to Syracuse’s locker room all by himself.

Relative to Lydon’s prior six games, a span in which he averaged six points and fewer than five rebounds, his eight and nine against the Blue Devils stood out — but only by his standards. Four others topped his scoring total that night and Tyler Roberson’s 20 rebounds masked Lydon’s much-improved effort on the glass.

A hesitancy to shoot that bogged him down began to fade along with fragility on the boards. And since flashing his Battle for Atlantis form against Duke, Lydon has blossomed in a Syracuse offense that’s trending upward at the same time as its second-youngest piece.

The Orange has won eight of its last 10 games, and Lydon has made a 3-pointer and multiple field goals in all eight wins. In both losses, he’s done neither. During Syracuse’s current five-game winning streak, Lydon has shot 50 percent from deep while taking at least two 3s per game. He’s averaged 13.8 points per contest and is coming off a career-high 20 against Boston College as Syracuse (18-8, 8-5 Atlantic Coast) travels to face No. 18 Louisville (19-6, 8-4) on Wednesday night.

“For a while he didn’t take a lot of shots, and he just felt they weren’t there,” SU head coach Jim Boeheim said. “He’s gradually figured it out, and he’s had a very, very solid year so far.”

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The tale of Lydon’s season can be traced along the same lines as Syracuse’s. A 6-0 start also put the freshman on the map and his near-16 points per game in the early-season tournament crafted his identity that was previously unclear even to Boeheim, the head coach said.

But that consistency faded, and Syracuse won five of its next 12 games, slipping well past its No. 14 national ranking to the depths of the ACC. Lydon reached double-digit points just four times in that span and grabbed 10 or more boards only twice.

“They started guarding him a little bit better, obviously, and he was hesitant a little bit,” Boeheim said. “I think he felt like he’d be wide open to shoot for a while there.”

Parts of Lydon’s game that teased to a more complete product started to re-surface. A more trigger-happy approach from the field. Holding his own on the low block despite being outweighed by almost every opponent. Even maintaining his team-best percentage from the foul line began to round out a player helping to resuscitate his own season while doing the same with his team’s.

Against Boston College, Lydon made the most shots he had all season (eight) while tying his previous high for attempts (12). He took the third-most 3-pointers he had in a game and grabbed at least six rebounds for the fifth straight contest.

After the game, he was the first player swarmed by reporters, this time right next to Gbinije’s locker.

It’s an explanation as simple as Boeheim’s main reason for Syracuse winning games: the Orange is making shots. And so too is Lydon, who continues to stretch defenses and exploit mismatches when opposing defenses switch on screens.

On Monday’s ACC coaches teleconference, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino was asked if he’s ever seen a Syracuse team with as much depth from the field. He said he hadn’t, but only singled out one name from the Orange’s bevy of capable shooters that has helped make its offense relevant again.

“What really makes it difficult is Lydon,” Pitino said, “because he steps out as a backup center and they can play five out on the perimeter.

“It really makes it tough.”

Published on February 16, 2016 at 11:27 pm

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman