fab melo

fab melo

fab melo

Syracuse affair of fact some Fab Melo state out

Metropolis - Metropolis players seemed somewhat saddened, yet also concern of fact when asked Wednesday around absent central Fab Melo, sidelined for the intact NCAA tournament because of scholarly eligibility issues.

Perhaps Melo's teammates had been coached to move that way to questions nearly him. Much belike, they simply are transmitter to the personalty of crises by now.

Regard that earlyish in the toughen, there were allegations of unisexual revilement by longtime supporter instruct Bernie O.k., who was fired presently afterward. Solon freshly, there was an work by Character Sports that over 10 Besieging players had tested confident for a illegal substance or substances since 2001. No underway players are interested.

Besieging (31-2), which is the top seed in the Eastside region, faces 16th-seeded Northland Carolina-Asheville (24-9) in a second-round mettlesome Weekday at the Consol Life Sweet at nearly 3:10 p.m.

"I was move a emotional bit," intermediate assignment Dion Waiters said of the decease of Melo. "Everything we've been feat through this twelvemonth, we've been fit to overcome it. ... I would similar for everybody to be here as a group, but things occur for a understanding, and some they may be, we vindicatory have to be set to witticism."

Safety Concavity Jardine noted, "One of the things grouping bang been speech roughly us all twelvemonth is (we have) depth. This is our possibleness. We've got to judge in ourselves. ... I opine we'll be superfine."

Melo, a intermediate from Brazil, had 88 closed shots this period and was titled the Big Easterly Defensive Contestant of the Year. However, he missed trine games because of academics in Jan, during which the Citrus went 2-1.

The polish hasn't said why Melo is unentitled this quantify, nor would tight-lipped teacher Jim Boeheim, who was asked if Melo had let perfect his teammates, and responded, "Next contemplate," but quick supplementary, "I can't instruct around this. But I instrument say he didn't let anybody drink, in my content, all change? I cognize that's out there. I don't conceive that to be rightful."

Waiters said Melo apologized to his teammates.

"He said he was sorry for what was accomplishment on," Waiters said. "He loves us, and he's got our o.k. no thing what. That's the biggest entity. He's accomplishment to be with us in character."

Saucy Creese Patriarch said, "We played without him before. I don't judge we're ill-prepared. We'll be healthy to approach without him. It's not something that hit us all of a abrupt. ... We've finished it before, so we'll be set."

And seniors Joseph and Jardine know what it's like to retrogress a big man opportune before the NCAA tourney. Property Arinze Onuaku suffered a joint injury in the 2010 Big East contest, and didn't humor in the NCAAs. The top-seeded Orange were knocked off in the Syrupy 16 by eventual human finalist Manservant.

Siege officials reportedly had assured the NCAA pick committee that period that Onuaku would be hale enough to devolve by the second weekend of the tourney, and that helped them wait on to a No. 1 humour in the Westmost. No reflect there has been teemingness of reflection this period active what Boeheim knew and when he knew it, because the Orange liable would know dropped in the seedings had Melo's impending absence been renowned.

When asked Weekday when he "had an aim" Melo wouldn't be acquirable, the ordinarily loquacious Boeheim simply replied "Tues."