Syracuse Daily Links - It's Dion Waiters Time

Without Fab, Who’s Syracuse’s X-Factor? The Explosive & Hungry Dion Waiters : Orange Fizz
The comparisons to Dwyane Wade are real. There’s no way to project him being a Hall of Famer like D-Wade, but the comparisons of their games are accurate. Waiters has a unique combination of size and explosiveness. His basketball IQ is underrated. In a game where his senior backcourt mate had 5 turnovers, Waiters had just 1. His season high was only 3. Lost in his 28 points, were 4 assists. He’s unselfish. He’s really good.

Anthony Davis, Harrison Barnes among NBA prospects to watch in NCAAs - Ben Glicksman - SI.com
"I would say today that scouts are more enamored with Beal but only because he's played more," said a scout. "Why is this guy playing 20 minutes? He might be [Syracuse's] best player."

MBB | Cohen: Melo's ineligibility eliminates SU's title hopes, forever stains his personal legacy - Sports - The Daily Orange
And with this mistake, Melo cemented his place in Syracuse history as the guy who seemingly cost SU a chance for its second national title.

MBB | What players and coaches at the NCAA Tournament are saying about Fab Melo - March Madness 2012 - March Madness 2012 - The Daily Orange
Kevin Jones, forward, West Virginia: "We did play them without Fab Melo. He definitely is a difference maker. You can see it on their team. They definitely play better with him in the lineup. I think it is a crushing blow to them."

Syracuse Orange Basketball - Orange Scouting Report: UNC-Asheville
Syracuse is arguably the best transition team in the country. The way for them to be successful offensively in this game, and the tournament, is to run, run, run. It creates easy buckets, demoralizes the opponent, and can create big runs to extend leads.

Hewitt-Trussville's Matt Dickey and UNC Asheville hope to make history against Syracuse | al.com
"We're not just satisfied being there," Dickey said. "We want to make history."

Oneida native, SU alum, UNC Asheville employee caught in the middle of today's NCAA tournament game: Madison Neighbors Today | syracuse.com
Rick Brophy lives in Asheville, North Carolina and is employeed as the assistant director of the student union at UNC Asheville. He studied psychology at Syracuse University and is from Oneida, New York.

On The Eve Of March Madness, Syracuse Center Fab Melo Suspended, Adding to The Off-Court Woes of Coach Jim Boeheim | Keeping Score | TIME.com
Given all the off-court distractions, and without Melo in the lineup, does Syracuse have anything left for March Madness? Syracuse basketball will always matter. But now more than ever, it’s just plain messy.

The View from Syracuse: Now, It's Up to the Seniors - NYTimes.com
"This is it for Kris and myself, we know that," Jardine said on Sunday after the bracket was announced. "So there is a sense of urgency. We have to go out and beat these teams like we have done all year. I think we should be fine."

Melo No. 51 t-shirts down to $5 - NewsChannel 9 WSYR
They may one day be valued for their novelty, but for now Orange t-shirts bearing Fab Melo’s No. 51 are selling at Manny’s for just $5.

Kansas State basketball team tries to not look ahead to possible matchup with Syracuse | syracuse.com
"It's hard, because I feel like that's what everybody wants to see for Round Two" K-State guard Shane Southwell said to reporters. "We've just got to be focused on the game at hand."

Mike's Mailbox: How many times have the top two teams met in the NCAA championship game? | syracuse.com
Two No. 1 seeds have met in the championship game just six times. They are: 1982 (North Carolina defeated Georgetown), 1993 (North Carolina defeated Michigan), 1999 (Connecticut defeated Duke), 2005 (North Carolina defeated Illinois), 2007 (Florida defeated Ohio State) and 2008 (Kansas defeated Memphis).

NCAA Tournament 2012: Fab Melo suspension will ruin Syracuse's championship dream - NCAA Basketball - Sporting News
Give them credit: They tried to sell it, and they tried hard. The Syracuse Orange, the second-ranked team in the country and the No. 1 seed in the East Region, still can get to the Final Four and even win a national championship without Fab Melo, the starting center who helped them reach such heights — that’s what Syracuse’s coaches and players insist. Are you buying it? Not me.

The Daily Orange's Michael Cohen and Zach Brown talk about the second round match up between Syracuse and UNC-Asheville in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

Local fans react to news that Fab Melo will miss the NCAA tournament because of an eligibility issue. Video by Jim Commentucci.

Inside the Consol Energy Arena on Wednesday, all the talk was about Fab Melo and how Syracuse would move forward without him.