Former Celtic Fab Melo at the Center of NCAA’s Investigation of Syracuse Basketball
Syracuse’s proud basketball program has been sanctioned by the NCAA for breaking the rules, and former Celtics center Fab Melo was a key figure in the investigation.
The NCAA’s 94-page report on the violations committed by the Syracuse program contains some troubling details on the lengths the school went to keep the 2012 Big East Defensive Player of the Year on the court.
Syracuse.com outlined the investigation’s findings, reporting that Melo had a paper written for him, grades changed, and several administrators go out of their way to keep him academically eligible during the 2011-12 season. A sophomore at the time, Melo was eventually ruled ineligible for the NCAA Tournament and left school early for the NBA Draft.
The full report is available on Syracuse.com. Among other sanctions, the Syracuse program vacated 108 wins and head coach Jim Boeheim was suspended for nine ACC games next season as a result of the investigation.
The Celtics drafted Melo in the first round in the 2012 Draft. Melo said before the draft that his academic struggles were due in part to his unfamiliarity with the English language. While a member of the Celtics, he notoriously gave himself a concussion by walking into a door frame. That clumsy accident became a symbol of his stay in Boston.
Melo scored seven points in six career NBA games, all with the Celtics. He now plays professionally in his home nation of Brazil.
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