Fab Melo a soph to keep an eye on this season per Seth Davis

[Orangeyes]

Fab Melo, 7-foot forward, Syracuse

Fr: 9.9 mins, 2.3 pts, 1.9 rebs, 0.8 blks, 36.0% ft

Soph: 22.0 mins, 6.3 pts, 5.1 rebs, 2.4 blks, 50.0% ft

I usually don't make it my business to root for specific players, but I'm making an exception for Melo. He is endearing and earnest, and it's not his fault that he arrived in Syracuse amid sky-high expectations he was unprepared to meet. After all, Melo only came to the U.S. to play basketball three years ago. The college game proved to be too fast for Melo as a freshman, and like a lot of big men he came in woefully out of shape. Melo spent his summer working hard to improve his conditioning, and you can just see how much better his self-esteem is now. He's still a long way from being an offensive threat, but he has given the Orange the defensive anchor in the paint they lacked last year.

Seth Davis

Read more Seth Davis Sports Illustrated

Fab Melo among Sports Illustrated writer's sophomores to keep an ...

 

[Orangemen]

I think RJ was a pretty reasonable defensive anchor last year.

Credit where credits due.

 

[sutomcat]

Fab Melo, 7-foot forward, Syracuse

Fr: 9.9 mins, 2.3 pts, 1.9 rebs, 0.8 blks, 36.0% ft

Soph: 22.0 mins, 6.3 pts, 5.1 rebs, 2.4 blks, 50.0% ft

I usually don't make it my business to root for specific players, but I'm making an exception for Melo. He is endearing and earnest, and it's not his fault that he arrived in Syracuse amid sky-high expectations he was unprepared to meet. After all, Melo only came to the U.S. to play basketball three years ago. The college game proved to be too fast for Melo as a freshman, and like a lot of big men he came in woefully out of shape. Melo spent his summer working hard to improve his conditioning, and you can just see how much better his self-esteem is now. He's still a long way from being an offensive threat, but he has given the Orange the defensive anchor in the paint they lacked last year.

Seth Davis

Read more Seth Davis Sports Illustrated

Fab Melo among Sports Illustrated writer's sophomores to keep an ...

That kid Will Sheehey, who is blowing it up as a sophomore at Indiana, is the son of former SU and St Bonaventure player Mike Sheehey (and nephew of former UVa star Tom Sheehey).

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I'm thinking since the end of last season that Fab Melo has matured not just physically but mentally as well. It appears, so far, that his legal troubles has helped steer him in the right direction. I'm sure JB should get a lot of credit for this, but I don't think I would be going out on the limb by saying that Bernie spent a lot of time with Fab talking about his future and finally getting it to click for him to make such a big leap this season. Bernie needs to get credit where credit is due.