In the end, Syracuse could not overcome the loss of star sophomore center Fab Melo. The Orange was defeated last Saturday 77-70 by Ohio State. As the final horn sounded and they slowly walked off the court for the last time in this wondrous season they couldn’t bear to look up into the seats. Syracuse learned real quick that this was a big boys affair meant for players with serious spine; every dribble, pass and shot was going to be challenged. They fought to the end for a spot in the Final Four with the NCAA Tournament sitting down in Louisiana. Given the circumstances of this great defeat, their hanging heads and teary eyes were understandable. Despite the loss and the bumpy backdrop that overshadowed the season, this by far was Syracuse’s best season yet!
Early in the season, Syracuse dismissed their associated head coach Bernie Fine late November after two former ballboys accused him of sexually molesting them in the 1980s. No formal charges have been filed against Fine. Jim Boeheim received a lot of criticism for his initial support of Fine and many demanded he be fired too. And as the buses pulled away for their first two NCAA tournament games, the university announced that Melo would be ineligible to play in the postseason. Oh yeah, there was also that lingering issue were Secretary of Education Arne Duncan singled out Boeheim about the graduation rates of NCAA tournament teams.
Through all the drama, the players seem unfazed by the news swirling around and played at their best. That’s according to their record, only one loss during the regular season to Norte Dame in January. That lose can also be blamed on the absence of Melo because of an academic matter.
It’s a shame that the boys didn’t look up, they had lot of fans that were there standing and applauding. They fought till the final minute. Why wouldn’t they? They would have loved to be in the Final Four. The Orange started the year in the Associated Press’ top five and remained there for the entire season, including a 6-week stint at No. What a tough loss to swallow. Syracuse endured a series of off-court controversies, but never let them impact the team’s play on court. The reason they loss? The loss of Fab Melo prevented them from advancing to the Final Four for the fifth time in school history and the first time since 2003. What a bad call for Syracuse, hopefully next year they go all the way to the Finals.
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