Jim Boeheim's Syracuse Orange were dealt a huge blow today following news that 7'0'' center Fab Melo has been ruled ineligible to play in the NCAA Tournament.

SUathletics.org made the announcement this afternoon. This was all the information available:

"Syracuse University sophomore men's basketball center Fab Melo did not travel with the team to Pittsburgh, and will not take part in the NCAA Tournament due to an eligibility issue. Given University policy and federal student privacy laws, no further details can be provided at this time."

The 31-2 Orange have the No. 1 seed in the tournament's East Region and will play 16-seed NC-Asheville on Thursday.

Melo missed a handful of Syracuse games earlier this year after being ruled ineligible, reportedly because of an academic issue.

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