AP Syracuse’s NCAA tournament title hopes took a significant hit Tuesday when the school announced sophomore center Fab Melo will not participate because of eligibility issues.
Melo did not travel with the team to Pittsburgh for its first-round game. The school did not offer any further details.
The sophomore center has dealt with eligibility issues before this season, which caused him to miss three games in January, including the Orange’s loss to Notre Dame. He’s among the nation’s elite shot-blockers and is the team’s leading rebounder. An ESPN report says the NCAA revisited the earlier academic issue and deemed Melo ineligible.
Related: Even without Melo, ‘Cuse won’t lose to 16 seed
Syracuse (31-2) had been able to deal with two off-court distractions this season, but here’s one that could affect their chances to even make the Elite Eight, let alone cut down the nets in New Orleans. The East’s top seed should still get by UNC Asheville in the first round, but later games against the likes of Kansas State, Vanderbilt or Wisconsin loom large.
Coach Jim Boeheim tried to downplay the injury, but did tell the Associated Press that “all we can do is be ready to play with the guys we have.”
“That’s all we can do,” he said. “There are injuries, things happen during a season. We’ll be ready to play and we’ll go play.”
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- massivedick - Mar 13, 2012 at 3:02 PM
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brutha’s a tard …. “teach axes me why i ain’t got no homework done and i says i ain’t gots to do no homework be-atch”
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- stevedubs11 - Mar 13, 2012 at 3:09 PM
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well there goes my bracket…and 20 bucks.
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- jayinatlanta - Mar 13, 2012 at 3:59 PM
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Yeah, my bracket probably took a significant hit also.
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- kungfubillysims - Mar 13, 2012 at 3:25 PM
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What an idiot. Looks like Kentucky or Michigan State is bringing home the title. Sparty on!
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- imaduffer - Mar 13, 2012 at 3:28 PM
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But, what about all the other games he played in? Syracuse should not be allowed to play in the tournament.
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- seanb20124 - Mar 13, 2012 at 3:28 PM
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Some fool professor just lost any chance at tenure.
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- willkellz - Mar 13, 2012 at 3:43 PM
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Cuse still has a shot at this, it’s time for Rakeem to step up and show what he’s made of. Cuse plays a zone so they will still be able to control the paint. Offensive rebounds could be the killer though.
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- divingdancer - Mar 13, 2012 at 3:47 PM
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Any chance that it’s tied to the drug testing issue that came out a few days back?
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- imaduffer - Mar 13, 2012 at 3:53 PM
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College kids don’t do drugs.
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- kansas531 - Mar 13, 2012 at 5:57 PM
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I’m wondering the same thing as iamaduffer. It is still the Spring semester at college. If he was ineligible in January, and ineligible now, how could he be eligible for the main part of the season. It seems to me that the one of the “play-in” winners should take ‘Cuses place in the bracket.
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- kcredneck - Mar 13, 2012 at 7:13 PM
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Toach duz dat meen i kant pray eveu? ABCDEFG?XYZ?
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- villagementality - Mar 13, 2012 at 7:30 PM
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No sympathy here. You go to college and play ball. That makes you a STUDENT ATHLETE. You don’t go to class, keep your studdies/grades you lose your eligibility. Its quite simple. I pity the kids who actually did the right thing.
I think coaches should be suspended for recruiting ineligible players because it appears this one didnt practice due diligence. This child had no business in college.
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- Dave Dickson - Mar 13, 2012 at 7:47 PM
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“Coach Jim Boeheim tried to downplay the injury,” …so is it eligibility or is it inujury?
