Tyler Whitney-Sidney continues family basketball legacy

Growing up in Somerville, Massachusetts, Tyler Whitney-Sidney started playing basketball around the age of 6, following in the footsteps of several family members.

His mother played at Framingham State University, his father at Boston College and his aunt at Southern New Hampshire University.

The senior guard said he really began to love the game in sixth grade, when he set a goal — playing Division I basketball one day.

Years later, he accomplished that goal when he committed to Lehigh. Whitney-Sidney entered the university as a determined first-year and will be leaving as a 1,000-point scorer and four-time Patriot League Team honoree.

Whitney-Sidney — who’s graduating this spring with a degree in political science — wore number 22 for the Mountain Hawks, just like his mom and aunt did in college.

Throughout every season in high school, Whitney-Sidney made basketball a priority. He said he was in the gym seven days a week and played games across the country through the Amateur Athletic Union.

While he said he enjoyed his time playing club basketball, he’s surprised he was able to manage playing five games in one day immediately after traveling. Still, he said this experience helped prepare him for college. 

Junior forward Bube Momah has known Whitney-Sidney since high school, as they played in the same amateur league. Although they were once competitors, the two have become close friends while playing on the same team at Lehigh.

“Tyler is probably one of the most grown up people I’ve seen,” Momah said. “He has a lot of wisdom beyond his years, and I’ve been able to kind of pick his brain about different things, both on and off the court.” 

Momah said their friendship outside of basketball translates to good chemistry on the court. 

He also said Whitney-Sidney is a natural leader who can battle through adversity and is willing to do whatever is in the best interest of the team.

“He wants the best for people around him, and as he continues to grow as a person and as a player, he’s going to have a lot of success, not only in his professional career with basketball but with life after basketball,” Momah said.

As a first-year, Whitney-Sidney started in 18 games and scored 177 total points. During his senior season, he led the Mountain Hawks with 427 points.

Brett Reed, the coach of the Lehigh men’s basketball team, said Whitney-Sidney had a significant impact on the program.

“Tyler is a terrific athlete and has an electric first step in a and a very strong ability to finish at the rim,” he said.

Reed said over the course of his career, Whitney-Sidney has improved at the three-point line and has gotten himself to a point where he’s proficient.

Whitney-Sidney earned a spot on the Academic All-Patriot League Team and scored his 1,000th career point against Colgate University in his junior season.

He said his most memorable game while playing for Lehigh was against Boston University in the Patriot League semifinal that same season.

The Mountain Hawks had a 20-point deficit going into halftime, but they battled back, winning the game and earning their spot in the Patriot League Championship game.

Whitney-Sidney said the comeback wasn’t the only special part of the game. It was also the fact that he was able to play in front of his family. 

“Happy, you know, happy just for me, because, you know, that was my homecoming game,” he said. “So to be able to do that for the family is always cool.”

Momah recalled another memorable moment with Whitney-Sidney during last season’s game against the United States Naval Academy. He said Whitney-Sidney stole the ball, causing a turnover near Lehigh’s bench, and found Momah for a fast-break dunk. 

Whitney-Sidney said he will be continuing his basketball career after his graduation, as he’ll be playing on the professional level overseas this fall.

“He’s been a very productive college player, and that should open up doors for him to step into professional ball,” Reed said. “I have every confidence that he’s gonna work really hard to try to get himself prepared for those opportunities.”