Syracuse sophomore center Fab Melo will not play in the upcoming 2012 NCAA Tournament due to eligibility issues, per the university's website. "Given University policy and federal student privacy laws, no further details can be provided at this time," the site said. The 2nd-ranked and No. 1 seed Orange (31-2) were 29-1 with Melo on the court, and The 7-foot center has averaged 7.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks on the year. He also had 88 blocks.
What a blow 4 Syracuse - wow losing Fab Melo will really hurt the Zone . #dickievpicks es.pn/z8metj
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) March 13, 2012
In 3 games Fab Melo missed this year, Syracuse avg 14 fewer pts per 100 possessions, 7 fewer PPG in the paint, and 7 fewer 2nd-chance points
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 13, 2012
In 3 games this season w/o Fab Melo, Syracuse avg 60 PPG, and -11.0 reb differential. With Melo, 76 PPG and -0.4 reb differential
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 13, 2012
If you're wondering, Syracuse was 2-1 without Fab Melo this season -- lost at Notre Dame, beat Cincinnati and West Virginia.
— SB Nation (@sbnation) March 13, 2012
As you can see, it's a big hit for the Orange, whose rebounding is 129th in the league as it is, and will now likely struggle even further. Make sure you take this into account and adjust your brackets if need be. The Dance just got a little more interesting...
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