FWIW: Re Melo

[Capt. Tuttle]

Talked to an SU Prof yesterday. Melo just didn't do his work. (1st semester). The first appeal allowed him time to finish. (NCAA approved extension, thus he was reinstated.) He didn't finish the work that was due. Ineligible again.
The second appeal was internal to ask for more time. SU said no. (Unclear if NCAA got involved in the 2nd round.)
Based on track record, he ultimately would have been academically ineligible no matter what. That could have involved vacating wins. SU did the right thing. Boo on Melo.

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[realorange]

Talked to an SU Prof yesterday. Melo just didn't do his work. (1st semester). The first appeal allowed him time to finish. (NCAA approved extension, thus he was reinstated.) He didn't finish the work that was due. Ineligible again.
The second appeal was internal to ask for more time. SU said no. (Unclear if NCAA got involved in the 2nd round.)
Based on track record, he ultimately would have been academically ineligible no matter what. That could have involved vacating wins. SU did the right thing. Boo on Melo.

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Maybe this will silence the "poor Melo, don't pick on him" folks.

 

[SmilinBob]

I hope his mom kicks his ass if this is true.

 

[Whitey23]

and all along i thought he just wasn't a good fencer.

 

[arbitragegls]

This is as much a failure by Fab to meet team standards and his obligations not only to himself but his team; But Also, a significant failure of the mentoring, tutoring area of the BBall Team. Someone on JB's staff was asleep. According to previous threads and posts, there are mentors, tutors, and basketball staff that are supposed to make sure this does not happen...SO, What, tell me how they all have jobs when you have a significant failure like this?!!!!

 

[rrlbees]

The NCAA never approved an appeal.

 

[orangejunkie]

Don't pass the blame to the tutors or administration. It is Melo's responsibility to complete his work. I would be shocked if a tutor was not involved in assisting him with the work. It was Melo who chose not to complete it. Didn't Boeheim defend Melo at the time and say he didn't let the team down. Come on, he absolutely let the team down. I have said all along, Melo is a great kid, but immature. I would love to see him suck it up, get his academics in order, and return for another year; but that won't happen.

 

[44PRIDE]

This is as much a failure by Fab to meet team standards and his obligations not only to himself but his team; But Also, a significant failure of the mentoring, tutoring area of the BBall Team. Someone on JB's staff was asleep. According to previous threads and posts, there are mentors, tutors, and basketball staff that are supposed to make sure this does not happen...SO, What, tell me how they all have jobs when you have a significant failure like this?!!!!

This is such .

Yes, the BBall program has mentors and tutors to ASSIST students in their education. But as the OP said, "Melo just didn't do his work". Boeheim can't make a kid go to class. Hopkins can't make a kid read a book. The basketball program can't make a kid write a paper.

There is a thing in this world called accountability...and it's a lesson that Fab has yet to learn. A tutor can't act as a stand in for melo by taking his tests and writing his papers. And no amount of tutoring or hand-holding was going to make Melo go to class.

At the end of the day, the failure lies squarely at the feet of Fab...and no one else.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

A professor disclosed to you this private information? That's rather ridiculous.

 

[personalbias]

Quit with the "it's always someone else to blame" diatribe...if the story is true or an accurate reflection of what transpired, then the fault lies squarely on the student, Melo. What's with all this crap that someone else must be responsible for another to the extent that they are accountable for the others' actions?

 

[pfister1]

You can lead a horse to water, but, ultimately, you can't make him drink.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

This is such .

Yes, the BBall program has mentors and tutors to ASSIST students in their education. But as the OP said, "Melo just didn't do his work". Boeheim can't make a kid go to class. Hopkins can't make a kid read a book. The basketball program can't make a kid write a paper.

There is a thing in this world called accountability...and it's a lesson that Fab has yet to learn. A tutor can't act as a stand in for melo by taking his tests and writing his papers. And no amount of tutoring or hand-holding was going to make Melo go to class.

At the end of the day, the failure lies squarely at the feet of Fab...and no one else.

Right on! I read the post you referenced in this as though the poster thought someone else should have done Melo's work for him. I'm glad SU isn't that school. They did the right thing absolutely.

 

[EastCoast2]

If this is entirely true and not some "third person source", then it is 100% Fab's fault. As a D1 basketball player at a school like SU, you have every resource in the world... for easy classes. I'd love to see their schedules. Basketweaving 102. Physical education. The history of sports. Write a 2 page paper every week. What's that add up to 3 hours of work per week? Throw in tutors, mentors, study groups... You literally need to try to fail classes in this situation

 

[SourShoes]

I love the fact that professors up there simply share private information. Good stuuf

 

[dasher]

The NCAA never approved an appeal.

well, that is at odds with the statement that syracuse made when they said that he could have played against West virginia but they didn't want to risk it since they hadn't heard back from the NCAA. I have no idea what is true and what isn't. It's over. We can all move on. And to the other folks about whose fault? Who didn't pass. That is whose fault it is.

 

[rrlbees]

well, that is at odds with the statement that syracuse made when they said that he could have played against West virginia but they didn't want to risk it since they hadn't heard back from the NCAA. I have no idea what is true and what isn't. It's over. We can all move on. And to the other folks about whose fault? Who didn't pass. That is whose fault it is.

quite often in college athletics, the exact truth is at odds with public statements. sometimes it has to be that way.

 

[Henny & Coke]

This is as much a failure by Fab to meet team standards and his obligations not only to himself but his team; But Also, a significant failure of the mentoring, tutoring area of the BBall Team. Someone on JB's staff was asleep. According to previous threads and posts, there are mentors, tutors, and basketball staff that are supposed to make sure this does not happen...SO, What, tell me how they all have jobs when you have a significant failure like this?!!!!

Totally agree.

And if JB & his staff did everything in their power to provide Fab with academic support and monitoring, and he still wasn't doing the work, then they should have sat him, or even kicked him off the team. If you are doing everything you can to help a kid stay eligible & he continues to not do the work, there is nothing else you can do for him. BUT, you make sure that you are not relying on him for the program's success.

To be "held hostage" by a player who is not committed to schoolwork & who is in danger of being declared ineligible (and possibly having to forfeit games played) is the fault of the coaching staff. To let it get to the point where the player is deemed ineligible the week of the NCAA Tournament is inexcusable!! If the tutors & coaching staff are monitoring Fab's academic progress, and they see him failing classes, then sit him & play Christmas! Don't just hope & pray it gets magically resolved! How do you let this happen, at such a critical time of the season, for something like academics, which can & should be monitored for months ahead of time!

Inexcusable to be caught so off-guard as to have to replace your starting center with a guy (Christmas) who played all of 28 minutes in the 9 games leading up to the Tournament. (Especially when Fab had already been deemed ineligible once before! Argh!)

 

[dollarbill44]

This is as much a failure by Fab to meet team standards and his obligations not only to himself but his team; But Also, a significant failure of the mentoring, tutoring area of the BBall Team. Someone on JB's staff was asleep. According to previous threads and posts, there are mentors, tutors, and basketball staff that are supposed to make sure this does not happen...SO, What, tell me how they all have jobs when you have a significant failure like this?!!!!

I agree. When a player has an issue like Fab's, monitored study hall for at least 2 hours a day should be mandatory. And by monitored, I don't mean by a fellow student, but by a staff member.

When I was at my officer basic course after college, if you failed a test, you had to attend study hall until you passed a retest. That included no going off post on the weekend.

 

[dollarbill44]

If this is entirely true and not some "third person source", then it is 100% Fab's fault. As a D1 basketball player at a school like SU, you have every resource in the world... for easy classes. I'd love to see their schedules. Basketweaving 102. Physical education. The history of sports. Write a 2 page paper every week. What's that add up to 3 hours of work per week? Throw in tutors, mentors, study groups... You literally need to try to fail classes in this situation

It wasn't that simple when I was at SU. There were athletes in all of my classes from freshman year core classes to senior level economics classes. In fact, there was a lax player in one of my econ classes that was graduate level. You couldn't just take simple elective classes, athlete or non-athlete.

Athletes do have a lot more support, however.

 

[CusefanATL]

quite often in college athletics, the exact truth is at odds with public statements. sometimes it has to be that way.

I understand what you are saying - and i dont disagree with that's just how it goes.

but just read what you wrote... that's the most asinine statement of all time (again, not talking about you, i am talking about the ncaa atmosphere).

we aren't talking about a president keeping things top secret during the cuban missile crisis. we are talking about college basketball. there is NOTHING, and i mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that has to be lied about in college athletics.

 

[EastCoast2]

It wasn't that simple when I was at SU. There were athletes in all of my classes from freshman year core classes to senior level economics classes. In fact, there was a lax player in one of my econ classes that was graduate level. You couldn't just take simple elective classes, athlete or non-athlete.

Athletes do have a lot more support, however.

two-and-done basketball players aren't your typical student taking graduate courses. Guys like Melo are here for 1-2 years to take the easiest courses possible to pass. I played a sport in college and I was taking graduate level math courses. I had football, baseball, lacrosse, soccer players in my 200, 300, 400 level courses, sure. Those guys were there for school, guys like Melo aren't

 

[Orangeyes]

I was told yesterday that Fab spent a great deal of time at bars at SU. This was told to me by a student who also spends a great deal of time in bars. This student has no problems with grades and Fab did. The student said if Fab had spent as much time in studies as he did in Fagan's and Chuck's SU would probably be in the final four right now. As far as Fab & Dion taking care of class work so that we don't get the UConn treatment in 2014, they said forget about. Fab got out of town last week and Dion is too far behind.

 

[hungrychuck]

Totally agree.

And if JB & his staff did everything in their power to provide Fab with academic support and monitoring, and he still wasn't doing the work, then they should have sat him, or even kicked him off the team. If you are doing everything you can to help a kid stay eligible & he continues to not do the work, there is nothing else you can do for him. BUT, you make sure that you are not relying on him for the program's success.

To be "held hostage" by a player who is not committed to schoolwork & who is in danger of being declared ineligible (and possibly having to forfeit games played) is the fault of the coaching staff. To let it get to the point where the player is deemed ineligible the week of the NCAA Tournament is inexcusable!! If the tutors & coaching staff are monitoring Fab's academic progress, and they see him failing classes, then sit him & play Christmas! Don't just hope & pray it gets magically resolved! How do you let this happen, at such a critical time of the season, for something like academics, which can & should be monitored for months ahead of time!

Inexcusable to be caught so off-guard as to have to replace your starting center with a guy (Christmas) who played all of 28 minutes in the 9 games leading up to the Tournament. (Especially when Fab had already been deemed ineligible once before! Argh!)

This is the best post in this thread. OF COURSE the primary responsibility is with the athlete. But that doesn't mean you just give a pass to the support staff/coaching staff in this situation. If a kid is not going to class, you keep his butt out of practice and the next game until he has an attitude adjustment. If a kid needs to make progress toward completing work, you verify that progress. If it is not there, you keep his butt out of practice and the next game, etc, until some progress is made.

It's not an either/or situation. If the OP is accurate in his details, this was a failure BOTH by Melo and the support/coaching staff.

 

[MonsterGame]

One of the things that helps JB be a great recruiter is that he doesn't throw a player under the bus over any kind of significant off-court issue. He has a track record of going right up to the point of not saying the truth to defend the player. Because of that, he can go to in home visits and tell the parents I will look out for your son no matter what and can give examples if need be to prove it. I'm certain that goes a long way with a lot of parents to convincing them SU is the school for their boy. It would for me.

Truth is, Fab didn't do the class work required of him to pass. JB is always going to say, Fab didn't let anyone down to protect him. And I'm ok with that.

 

[BlueCurtain]

A tutor can't act as a stand in for melo by taking his tests and writing his papers.

Why not? It works at Kentucky.