RIP Fab Melo.

[Fat tire 13]

One a decade or less? Anybody in the 90s? Debatable if you can add Rak, was a top recruit coming in and a McDonald's All American.

There are more. Rick Jackson, AO, Conrad McRae, and I would definitely count Rak. The improvement from Freshman to Senior year is what matters. Even guys like Otis Hill and Jeremy McNeal improved steadily over the years. Also don't forget Seikley was a huge project.

 

[OrangeDW]

One a decade or less? Anybody in the 90s? Debatable if you can add Rak, was a top recruit coming in and a McDonald's All American.

Thinking of the 90's, it just struck me how much of a different era that was. We only really had 4 different starting centers in the 90's. Otis Hill for most of 4 years, Etan Thomas for 2 years, Leron Ellis for 2 years, and Conrad McRae for 2 years. Siock and Reafsnyder started for awhile in one season each, but it always felt like McRae and Hill were the "real" starters.

 

[OrangeDW]

Rony Seikaly, Etan Thomas, and Rak Christmas would all beg to differ.
And Fab too, were he here and able to do so.

Daryl Watkins certainly improved a lot. It took awhile, and he overall wasn't as good as we hoped based on recruiting ratings. But if you just throw that out and look at how good he actually was as a freshman(which is, not very good at all) and how good he was as a senior...he got a lot better.

 

[NYCSUGrad]

Cant we say BOTH the NCAA and the university failed the kid? Does this have to be mutually exclusive? With what they had riding on this kid(another title run), you think eveery Portuguese student on campus would be culled through carefully for a fitting tutor. I mean during recruiting, maybe admissions would have a keen eye out for kids who spoke Portuguese, etc. Nobody puts Fab in corner.

Anyhow, that is where my vote currently is and is likely to remain. RIP Fab Melo.

Were you on campus then and knew every student who spoke Portugese? You still have to find a kid who has time to be a tutor and cares about the team enough to.

Not everyone comes to SU to root for the basketball team, much less sacrifice 10-15+ hours a week for it. Especially when soccer or "football" is way more popular overseas.