A former Hudson Valley high school star is just hours away from being selected in the NBA draft.

Draft experts predict that Tyler Lydon, a former Pine Plains standout, will be selected late in the first round or early in the second round in Thursday’s 2017 NBA Draft.

Lydon’s length and ability to hit the 3 should translate into the current NBA game. As the lanky 20-year-old develops, he will need to put on weight to have sustained success at the next level.

The 6-foot-9 20-year-old from Elizaville averaged 13.2 points per game and a team high 8.5 rebounds per game during his sophomore season at Syracuse. Lydon connected on nearly 40 percent of his shots from 3-point land.

In March, when the former Dutchess County hoops star announced he was leaving Syracuse for the NBA, most draft experts had Lydon going in the first round. Since then he’s slipped.

Here’s a look at where  draft experts predict Lydon will be selected:

  • Draft Express: 1st Round, 23rd Pick, Toronto Raptors
  • Sports Illustrated: 1st Round, 24th Pick, Utah Jazz
  • CBS Sports: Draft Express: 1st Round, 23rd Pick, Toronto Raptors
  • NBC Sports: 1st Round, 28th Pick, Los Angeles Lakers
  • Sporting News: 1st Round, 25th Pick, Orlando Magic
  • FanRag: Sports Illustrated: 1st Round, 24th Pick, Utah Jazz
  • NBA Draft.Net: 2nd Round, 35th Pick, Orlando Magic
  • Tankathon: 2nd Round, 33rd Pick, Orlando Magic
  • The Ringer: 2nd Round, 37th Pick, Boston Celtics
  • Bleacher Report: 2nd Round, 39th Pick, Philadelphia 76ers

Last years as a freshman, the Elizaville native provided the Orange with 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and a team-high 1.6 blocks off the bench. He sealed Syracuse’s win to reach the Final Four with a clutch block in the final seconds. It was one of 6 blocks he had in the game.

In 2011, as a freshman in high school, Lydon helped Pine Plains win their first boys basketball section championship since the 1960s.  Lydon and the Bombers repeated as Section 9 champions in 2012 and 2013. Also in 2013, he led Pine Plains to the Class C New York State Championship game.

I’m sure Lydon, and his Hudson Valley family and friends are hoping for a first round selection, but regardless, in a matter of hours, Lydon’s dream of playing in the NBA is going to become a reality.

Check out this week's Top 5 Hudson Valley stories including a deer crashing through a windshield on I-84 during rush hour and a high school senior's tragic death.

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