The 2012 NBA Draft is just two days away, and expert mock drafts are beginning to shape into form. For those former Syracuse basketball player hoping to have their name called by the commissioner there's nothing better than seeing your name in an expert's projections, and that's what center Fab Melo saw on Tuesday.
According to the latest mock draft by Comcast SportsNets Boston's A. Sherrod Barkley, the 7-footer is going to go to the Boston Celtics with the No. 22 overall pick:
22. Boston - Fab Melo, C, Syracuse: Maturity issues aside, the best shot-blocking big man gets scooped up by a team that's desperate for more defensive-minded bodies in the post.
Melo, the 2011-12 Big East Defensive Player of the Year, would be a good fit for any team trying to upgrade its physical presence inside.
Despite some off-the-court issues, Melo, officially listed at 7-foot-0, 255-pounds, is a solid prospects says DraftExpress.com's Jonathan Givony.
"He's a legit 7-footer, and he's a pretty mobile one at that," said Jonathan Givony, president of DraftExpress. "That automatically puts him in a pretty unique class of prospects. There aren't that many guys like him out there."
Melo's mobility at center and potential upside has him as a first-round selection according to SB Nation.com.
For more on Syracuse basketball draft prospects, make sure to check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream or the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician. Meanwhile, for everything on the Knicks visit Posting And Toasting.