Remember all the hype a couple of summers ago surrounding the recruitment of Fab Melo, the 7-foot, 235-pound center from Brazil. He was expected to sign with Louisville, until he visited Syracuse, heard a speech by Vice President Joe Biden and decided to cast his lot with the Orange.
Melo is not off to a good start, averaging 1.8 rebounds and two points per game as a starter in 22 games. Jim Boeheim says Melo is bothered by an achilles heel injury. No joke.
Gorgui Dieng, who accepted the scholarship that would have been awarded to Melo, was averaging 6.3 points and 4.6 rebounds before being injured in his 19th game against West Virginia.
Cincinnati’s Gates suspended indefinitely
Yancy Gates, the 6-foot-9, 265-pound intimidator at Cincinnati, has been suspended indefinitely for violation of team rules. Coach Mick Cronin gave no reason for the suspension, saying it was an accumulation of things.
Gates is team’s second leading scorer and top rebounder.
Cronin says his basketball players should follow three basic rules, “Play hard, have a good attitude and be a good guy.” As far as he was concerned, Gates had broken all three. Cronin apparently has no plans for meeting with Gates anytime soon, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer:
“I believe, as the son of a high school coach, that my players are going to be taught to have the right attitude,†Cronin said, “to learn how to be a good person. The world doesn’t revolve around you.
Louisville travels to Cincinnati next week, a Wednesday encounter on Feb. 16.
Pittsburgh’s leading scorer injured
Ashton Gibbs, the leading scorer for Pitt with 16.3 points per game, was injured during his team’s 71-59 win over Cincinnati, reports the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Pitt junior guard Ashton Gibbs could miss up to two weeks with an MCL injury in his left knee. He will not play at West Virginia Monday night and is doubtful for Saturday’s game at Villanova. Team officials have not put a timetable on Gibbs’ return, but it is expected he’ll be out 10-14 days.
If so, he would be back in the lineup when Pitt visits Louisville for a CBS national telecast on Sunday, Feb. 27.