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Message: [QUOTE="runningorange, post: 2075308, member: 2145"] I am taking this loss hard and it has been on my mind a lot since I heard the news Saturday night. I have been a Syracuse fan my whole life (growing up in Western NY) but I didn't truly start following all aspects of the program (including recruiting) until 2009 / 2010. Fab Melo was one if the first big-time recruits I remember following. I learned all about him (largely from lurking on this board) and remember feeling very excited that he committed to us over Louisville (sometime in August 2009??? I believe). I have since followed along on many subsequent recruiting sagas (Noel, Battle, Thompson, Green, White III, etc) but Fab Melo was probably the first I followed the whole way through and so having him commit felt especially special. He was the anchor of what might have been the greatest Syracuse team of all time. I, like many, loved that 2011-2012 team. When you watch all the post game press conferences, player interviews, Scoop and Kris show, read every blog, read this message board, stream the exhibition games, etc as I did (and many on this board also do)... I felt a personal connection to players and coaches who I never but felt like I knew. Reports such as Donna D and Mike Waters helped foster such a connection with their access to the players and the personal information they provided. I felt that connection with Fab, and many other players on that 2012 team. I remember feeling like I got punched in the stomach when fab got suspended the first time. I remember the joyous thread on this board when an insider informed us he would be back for the St. Johns game at the garden. I remember the Seton Hall game, the winning dunk @UConn, sweeping Louisville, the 360 dunk @Nova, going 17-1 and dominating the BE like few other teams ever have (winning the conference by 3 games), and bulldozing so many other teams that never even had a chance. That team (with Fab) plays UK for a national championship and has a real shot to win. Fab was a big part of a team that I felt a strong personal connection to, and I will always be thankful to him for that. I watched Fab beat UConn in the Big East Tournament when my son was born. My son is now 4 (about to be 5) and just went to his first game @Pitt on Saturday. Fab wearing Orange seems like only yesterday. RIP and thanks for the memories. He is a part of the Orange family. [/QUOTE]

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