Biography: Melo decided to enter the NBA draft after a breakout sophomore season at Syracuse which also saw him held out twice because of eligibility issues. He averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds and led the Big East with 2.9 blocks per game in being named the conference's defensive player of the year. Melo, though, missed three games in late January due to an academic issue before being reinstated. Then just before the start of the NCAA tournament, he was ruled ineligible again and did not play another game. Syracuse's only defeat during the regular season came during Melo's absence in January, and the Orange couldn't overcome the loss of their top defensive player in the NCAA tournament. Without Melo's presence on the back line of the Orange's 2-3 zone, they advanced to the round of eight before a loss to Ohio State prevented them from reaching the Final Four. Melo is more than a shot-blocker on the defensive end, as he proved quite adept at getting in position to draw charges in the low post. Offensively, he improved his mid-range jumper and shot 56.6 percent (98 for 173) as a sophomore, is a good passer out of the post and has good mobility and footwork for his size. Melo made major strides, especially in terms of his conditioning, between his freshman and sophomore seasons, but he is still considered a project. He likely will be selected late in the first round by a team looking for a big man who can get up and down the floor and affect games on the defensive end.