Melo answers critics

Fab Melo learned a lot about life at Syracuse. On the court, he improved his work ethic and emerged as one of the nation’s premier defenders. Off the court, he changed his lifestyle and figured out how to deal with adversity – some of it by his own making. The Big East Defensive Player of the Year is traveling around the country, working out in front of NBA scouts and trying to answer one question: Why should a team spend a high draft pick on a player who couldn’t finish last season because of academic problems? “It was academic,” Melo (pictured right) said Tuesday after working out for the Pacers in Indianapolis. “They ask, I explain (what) happened – that I came from another country and until four years ago didn’t even speak English.” – AP