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The Boston Celtics have selected Syracuse Orange center Fab Melo with the No. 22 pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft.
The word on the street for a while now was that it was either going to be the Celtics or the Miami Heat. Fab gets to learn from Kevin Garnett who should be able to continue Fab's transition from lazy Chuck's attendee to fierce shot-blocker. He'll also play alongside Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, who was picked by the C's just before him.
After a disappointing freshman season, Melo transformed into a defensive anchor in the 2-3 zone. He averaged 7.8 points, 2.9 blocks and 5.8 rebounds per game in a season in which he was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year.
Syracuse fans had a love-hate relationship with Melo, who's career was stalled multiple times by off-court incidents and issues. Academic issues stemming from his lack of speaking English allegedly caused him to miss the NCAA Tournament and was a source of ire for Orange fans hoping to see their team head to the Final Four.
Good luck, Fab. I'm not sure if every (or most) Syracuse fans are rooting for you but we kinda need as many Syracuse players as possible to do well in the NBA, so, do that.