Syracuse, N.Y. — Tyler Lydon considered the intensity of his USA Basketball experience this summer, the months-long labor ahead with his New Hampton School basketball team and the brief transition to his upcoming Syracuse basketball career and determined he needed a break.
So the 6-foot-9 forward from Pine Plains allowed himself a few weeks to relax. He did not abandon the physical responsibilities of teenaged basketball players with reputations to uphold. But he went fishing with his father and younger brothers, savored the remnants of summer with family and worked at a camp where he supervised young children.
"I was playing here and there with a couple teams, just like pickup games really. I kind of just hung out, did a couple workouts and some lifting. But I kind of just tried to take a little bit of break from basketball," Lydon said by telephone. "Right after I go from my senior year to Syracuse, there's going to be a lot of basketball. I kind of took some down time, spent a lot of time with my family. It was good."
Lydon's experience with USA Basketball — he was selected to the U17 team — raised his profile with Syracuse's 2015 recruiting class. The long, athletic forward with range that extends beyond the 3-point line said those heady weeks of being named to the team, which won a gold medal, was "an experience I'll never forget."
He believes, he said, the connections he made and the exposure USA Basketball provided will aid him in the future. Providence coach Ed Cooley, a U17 assistant, worked with him to help clarify his footwork and accelerate the release of his shot.
Lydon, too, listened to team elders such as Stanley Johnson, the Arizona commit with an NBA frame, a relentless motor and the skills that make him one of the Class of 2014's most impressive prospects.
"Talking to some of the guys on the team, like Stanley Johnson, opened up my eyes about some things. He's one of the guys going to college this year," Lydon said. "For some of the kids who are still going to be (high school) seniors, they talked a lot about leadership roles, what it takes to be a leader, how to win games, stuff like that. I learned a lot from those guys. And I think a lot of the other younger players did, too."
Lydon was speaking while traveling to New Hampshire to begin his senior year. He wants to win a New England Prep School (NEPSAC) title. He and undeclared Class of 2015 shooting guard A.J. Turner should make New Hampton a contender.
"My biggest goal right now is to win the NEPSAC championship," Lydon said. "Maybe we can play in the national championship for prep schools. I want to win a NEPSAC title pretty bad. And I just want to get better."