Syracuse's Biggest Question: Can Fab Melo Contribute?

Coach Jim Boeheim is one of the best recruiters in the country. The incoming class of freshmen is proof of that. Last year’s class was a similar situation. He brought in Dion Waiters and C.J. Fair, both of whom produced (at times) in their first season with the Orange. But neither of them were the real talk of the now rising sophomores. The gem of last season’s incoming class was seven foot tall center Fab Melo.

Melo was a disappointment in his first season. He only averaged 9.9 minutes of floor time per game last season. In that time he averaged just 2.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.

He was named preseason Rookie of the Year for the Big East, a title that was given far too soon. As a freshman he was sluggish and picked up fouls at a pace that drove Syracuse fans insane.

The good news is that Melo has a great upside. A player of his size (7 feet, 244 lbs.) can do great things in Boeheim’s system. He has the size to be the anchor of the 2-3 zone. Melo only averaged 0.8 blocks per game, but shorter forward Rick Jackson averaged 2.5 blocks per game playing a lot of time at the same position.

Melo has the ability to be a great shot blocker, but he has to keep his hands up and stay on the floor (which means out of foul trouble).

Last season Fab shared playing time at center with Jackson (graduated) and Baye Moussa Keita. Jackson was the elder statesman, and his experience showed on both ends of the court. Any time Jackson spent off the floor (or as a forward) was shared by Melo and Keita.

Throughout the season Keita looked to be the better player. This caused Boeheim to remove Melo from the starting lineup and insert Keita towards the end of the season.

Both centers carry unique skill sets, so neither is a complete player. Melo is a much better offensive player while Keita was a much better defender. Melo, with work, has the ability to become a better defensive player.

He is two inches taller the Keita and that size could dominate the Big East. The two problems Melo had on the defensive end were that the game was too fast for him and that he was out of shape.

He needs work to become an overall player. At times on the court he would keep his head down which caused him to commit dumb fouls. He also got into foul trouble because of poor conditioning. When he would spend significant stretches of time on the floor he would stop moving his feet and bring his arms down causing him to commit fouls.     

Hopefully his conditioning will be better after training with the Syracuse staff for a full offseason. If Melo can get into better shape then he should be a better offensive threat as well. You can’t score if you aren’t on the floor, and Melo was never on the floor long enough to get into any kind of offensive groove.

The best news for Fab (in terms of playing time) is that Rick Jackson graduated so he won’t have to compete with a proven veteran. That isn’t to say that he won’t have to compete for playing time. He will continue sharing floor time with Keita. He will also have to compete with incoming freshman Rakeem Christmas.

Christmas is a five star recruit from Philadelphia. He received a grade of 97 out of 100 from ESPN scouts. He is three inches shorter then Melo, but appears to be a more well rounded player. Melo only started playing basketball in high school, so he still doesn’t fully understand all the intricacies of the game.

I think that Melo will be better conditioned this season, which will help give him enough playing time to be a contributor. I doubt he will be the best center in the conference, but he can help Syracuse win. He will, in all likelihood, be the starter with Keita and Christmas coming off of the bench. But he will be on a short leash. If things go downhill Keita and Christmas won’t be sitting for long.

Fab Melo has the potential to be as great as he was perceived as an incoming freshman, but he is a project. Boeheim has to coach him up; if that doesn’t occur then he could be a bust. So fans shouldn’t perceive him as the answer just yet.