The question is not really how the loss of Fab Melo affected the game vs. Notre Dame, but instead what his situation means for the rest of the season. Syracuse.com tweeted Fab¬†“could return this season.”¬†Yahoo! Sports wrote¬†“there’s no guarantee he’ll be back at all.”¬†One would imagine SU wouldn’t prolong the pain if it knew Fab would have to miss the rest of the year. But could fear of NCAA repercussions force the university to hold him out indefinitely?
Syracuse surely didn’t look like the #1 team in the country Saturday night. The offense was stagnant. The defense was lethargic. The officials did the Orange no favors.¬†A loss likely drops SU from the top slot in the country, but ultimately it hardly matters right now. No college team goes unbeaten the entire season, so a loss at some point was inevitable. A conference road game, on the heels of losing two players – one for the entire season, one for at least two games – in a place where #1’s seem to always stumble? Hey, it happens.
The departure of Mookie Jones, who tweeted that he would return next season, is yet another strange plot twist in a bizarre career on the Hill, but doesn’t effect much more than Jim Boeheim’s options at the end of blowouts. Fab’s punishment, however, is completely different. Melo’s presence in the paint has been a vital part of Syracuse’s ferocious defense. That efficiency on the defensive end has been as important as any reason for SU’s historic start.
Fab alter shots, cleans the glass, swats shots, and presents a constant matchup advantage for The Per’fesser’s 2-3 zone. His commitment to defense (and a more polished overall game) has been incredibly important for this team. You could make the argument (and Fizzster Andrew Kanell has tried) Fab and Dion are the two most indispensable Orange late in games.
If this is merely a two game academic suspension, hopefully it doesn’t wreck the momentum Melo has built this season. Let’s assume he returns to the lineup Saturday against West Virginia and resumes playing his role of monster in the middle. It could serve as a productive wake up call to a sophomore who’s still maturing, and isn’t far removed from other off the court drama.
But there’s always the terrifying alternative, which hung there like a blinking “bridge is out” sign.¬†As deep, talented and veteran-laden as this team is, there’s not many disposable 7-footers that average 7 points/6 rebounds/3 blocks in the country. Irish center Jack Cooley went for 17 and 10. Here’s guessing his stat line would’ve been a little different had Fab been playing.
That one loss in Syracuse’s record is no big deal. There’s a quick chance for road redemption Monday at Cincinnati. It’s that one loss to the starting five that has Orange Nation worried right now.
Posted: D.A.
15 responses to “Fab Melo’s Uncertain Future Outweighs Syracuse’s Loss at Notre Dame”
Couldn’t have said it better.
I have a source close to the team that i will see on monday. If i find out anything about this i will report it here.
Cooley wouldnt have gotten more than 8 and 6 with fab in there. Our three point shooting stinks and i have been saying all season on the airwaves here in cuse that that would be a key reason why we eventually lose. Jardine, Joseph, and Waiters were horrible from three and that’s why we lost. Nevermind the rebounding and defense… if they hit their open threes… we would have come back and won.
We all knew that for any team to go undefeated during a regular season was damn near impossible. The thing that bothers me most about losing the first game is,it was against NOTRE DAME.
Syracuse is going to struggle against Cincinnati and has a good chance of losing it’s second game of the year without Melo in center.
If Melo is gone for the rest of the year,then I fear that Syracuse’s chances for winning another national championship has left with him.
I hope that he get’s his problems straightened out and returns to the team before the West Virginia game.
GO CUSE.
I’ve said from day one this year that the only thing that could derail this team would be for Fab Melo to get hurt or in this case suspended. Although he is not the best player on the team he is the only player they don’t have a realible backup for.
You got to remember these are kids playing and not pros. All along there was something to simple for me and my buddies about Fab. You could see that going to the Pros was his degree. I feel he let this team down, like any player taken out of the line up it hurts the teams chemistry. It pure and simple greed on Fab’s part. Playing to the rules of the NCAA is not important as playing BB or tweeting regularly for Fab!!!
Terry, I agree with your comments. Fab has a responsibility to stay on the court and out of trouble – personal or academic. When he got a second chance this summer that should have been the wake up call. I don’t agree with the fact this team can’t win without him, they just need to commit to team rebounding. Go back to the ND game and watch, Keita let Cooney slide underneath him the whole game without boxing him out. Guys are standing flat-footed on rebounds. When did we stop using our butts to box guys out and it use to be a team effort not just one guy. C’mon Hops, got to get these guys working hard and not relying on Melo….he’s proven twice now that he can be relied on. Go Orange!
Yeah, let’s hope this is just the two game suspension. Because they just don’t have the same impossible matchups defensively without him manning the middle – and we know that defensive commitment is the key to the Final 4 for this team. Hopefully Fab doesnt hurt this team long term. Let’s see…
Referring to him as “Melo” is an insult to Carmelo. Melo 1.0 never brought off-court drama to this program. Melo 2.0 has brought nothing but. You will now be called Fabricio until further notice.
It’s just one loss, so in the grand scheme of things – no big deal. However, the reason for the loss is deeper than just the loss of Fab. Syracuse, which has been touted as the deepest team from 1-10 in NCAAB, could not find one of the remaining nine players to really step up besides, Southerland, perhaps.
Making a ton of 3-pointers would certainly have made it a game, but again, that’s not the reason they lost.
Though poor offensive performance was definitely a factor, defensive intensity -specifically the lack thereof – was the main culprit. They simply could not stop the much less talented Notre Dame team save for only a few occasions. Lack of focus and hustle on defense led to fewer turnovers and fastbreak points – things SU has led the nation in this year.
Will this provide a slap-in-the-face, wake up call to our guys? I certainly hope so. Much like other off court distractions this season, use this loss to focus, guys.
Go ‘Cuse. Go Orange.
hearing from reliable sources that unless somthing crazy happens, fab will back by the wvu game. Also even without out fab if SU plays ND 9 more times, i think they win all those games by over 20. It was such a fluke of a game it drives me crazy to think about, all the su players looked lost, timid, and off, and all the nd players were on making every shot and getting hands on every loose ball. Think the refs were defn a factor in that game too but with the talent level of su they should have wiped the floor with them. it just seemed to me that this team was a little off since the pitt game which may have somthing to do with the three not falling like they usually do and losing focus. but the end of the second half vs cincy i saw the same su team i was used to seeing all year, and hope that same intensity and confidence carries over which i think it will.
I also dont beleive fab being out would be a killer, su is by far the most talented team in the big east even without melo. xmas would start for almost any other team in the country, and ifhe gets extended minutes, hes gonna be a bigtime shot blocker and rebounder and his offense is only gonna get better as the season progresses. I think SU can make the final four without melo, but to win the whole thing i think they defn need him, he provides an energy and passion that this team can lose at times.
I know for fact what is going on with melo from a source who works at SU. He was in a class that had a suspected “cheating ring” and they still are investigating what went down. Doesn’t mean he was involved just that it happened in his class. Heard that they are making everyone retake the test so if he passes that melo should be fine but probably will not be able play until the investigation is over just as precaution so there is no way the would be forced to forfeit games.
Bottom line CUSE needs Melo back period. They have not produced the same numbers offensively or defensively since his departure. I was at the Cincy game on Monday and our bigs just kept getting overpowered by the strength and size of Gates et al. Our talent finally overcame but its clear we are not a Final Four contender if we continue to get out rebounded BADLY by opponents (20+ reb differential today against WVU)! I hope we get him back soon, we’re lucky we have off until we play the Johnnies at the Garden next Saturday. Hopefully by then, they’ll get this situation resolved. Go Orange!
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