Syracuse announced Tuesday that center Fab Melo will not participate in the NCAA tournament, a decision that diminishes the top-seeded Orange’s chances of playing for the national title.
The university issued a brief press release stating that Melo would not participate in the tournament due to an “eligibility issue.” The university declined further comment and coach Jim Boeheim did not respond to a cell phone message.
A person involved with the university, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the problem was related to Melo’s previous academic problems, which forced him to miss three games this season.
Melo averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Orange, but his most important role was as an anchor at the bottom of Syracuse’s 2-3 zone. He averaged 2.93 blocks, ranking 12th in the country, an impressive number considering he only averaged 25.4 minutes.
The Orange played poorly without Melo this season, losing at Notre Dame and earning close wins over Cincinnati and West Virginia. Even with the 7-foot Melo in the lineup, Syracuse’s glaring weakness rebounds.
“The change is you can take the ball a little further,” West Virginia assistant Billy Hahn said. “You can take him to the rim and try to score more because he’s not there to block shots. This also gives you a better chance when defending them, as they do a great job throwing him the ball in transition.
The task of replacing Melo will fall to freshman Rakeem Christmas and sophomore Baye Keita. Syracuse, the top seed in the East Region, opens the NCAA Tournament on Thursday against No. 16 North Carolina-Asheville in Pittsburgh.
Hahn said the biggest advantage for Syracuse’s opponents — if the Orange beat UNC-Asheville as expected, they would face the winner of the game between No. 8 Kansas State and Southern Mississippi — would be as much mental as ‘something else.
“If you’re going to play them, you mentally say, ‘They’re not as good without Fab,'” Hahn said. “You think your chances are better; it’s just a natural thing. Do you think it was better for us to play them with him? I’m not going to lie to you; it is better to play them without him. They’re just not as good a team without this guy.
This should be the end of Melo’s Syracuse career, as several people around the NBA and Syracuse have said he plans to declare for the NBA draft after this season. Melo is a sophomore, but he will be 22 by the time of the draft in June.
While he’s not a guaranteed first-round pick, some NBA teams will likely be interested in his 7-foot, 275-pound frame. If he doesn’t join the NBA, Melo could return to his native Brazil to play professionally.
The news of Melo’s loss continues a season of dichotomies for Syracuse. The Orange were 31-2, the best regular season in program history. But Syracuse has also faced a host of off-the-field issues. University Fired Longtime Assistant Bernie Fine After Sexual Abuse Allegations, Yahoo Sports recently reported that the NCAA was investigating possible violations of the university’s drug testing policy over the past decade.
Syracuse continued to win despite the tumult, but the loss of Melo will lower tournament expectations. The Orange have spent most of this season ranked first or second, and have earned a favorable tie in the NCAA field.
This announcement risks leading to some late rush in office pools; The top-seeded Orange was a popular choice to reach the Final Four and possibly win the title. In a season that was both successful and chaotic for Syracuse, the loss of Melo adds a new chapter.
