Ex-Syracuse big man Fab Melo dies in Brazil

Fab Melo 360 dunk

Former syracuse center fab melo died on Saturday in his home in Brazil.

He was 26 years old.

He was a really good kid, and its not fair that he will be defined by one thing, a 10-page paper, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim told ESPN. He worked his tail off to become a really good player, and was a nice kid.

We dont know the cause yet. Its so hard right now, so hard to believe. Its a sad, sad day.

The cause of death is not yet known, although it is believed that Melo died in his mothers house, according to ESPN.

Melo played two seasons for the Orange before becoming the 22nd pick in the 2012 draft by the Boston Celtics. The paper that Boeheim is referring to was part of the investigation into academic impropriety within the Syracuse program that resulted in the self-imposed NCAA tournament ban during the 2014-15 season.

Source: http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2017/02/11/ex-syracuse-big-man-fab-melo-dies-in-brazil/

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Former Syracuse Center Fab Melo Passes Away At 26

Paul Pierce Fab Melo go 1-on-1 Celtics practice
In a report Saturday night, former Syracuse Orange big man Fab Melo passed away in Brazil.

A SporTV journalist reported that Melo, 26, died in his home in Brazil. The cause of death hasnt been confirmed, but its possible that the former Orangeman suffered a heart attack in his sleep.

According to RealGM, Melo last suited up with Uniceub-BRB-Brasilia of Liga Sudamericana in Brazil, and he averaged 2.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in seven games. Melo made the jump to playing internationally after his NBA career didnt pan out, and the former McDonalds All-American appeared in just six games with the Boston Celtics back in 2012-13.

Melo spent some time in the D-League before that but was never able to stand out like he did during his two seasons with Syracuse back in 2011 and 2012. His most notable moment during that time was when he recorded a triple-double on Dec. 22, 2012. Melo scored 15 points, hauled in 16 boards and swatted a D-League record 14 shots.

As a sophomore with the Orange, Melo brought home the Big Easts Defensive Player of the Year award after averaging 2.9 blocks per game, and that number ballooned to 3.7 in conference play.

That team finished the year 34-3 overall after losing to Ohio State in the Elite Eight, but Melo was unable to play in any postseason games because of academic ineligibility.

We send our prayers and condolences to the Melo family, and Fab was a player who was definitely good enough to carve out a niche playing professionally overseas. He was taken too soon.

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Source: http://www.thebasketballnetwork.com/former-syracuse-center-fab-melo-passes-away-26/

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