Fab Melo returns, helps Boeheim reach milestone in blowout of St. John’s

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Jim Boeheim took another step up on the ladder among all-time coaching greats.

While his Syracuse squad beat up on St. John’s 95-70 on Saturday, Boeheim earned his 879th win as a Division I head coach, tying former North Carolina coach Dean Smith on the all-time wins leaderboard. The only two coaches currently ahead of Boeheim in wins are Bob Knight (902) and, the one and only,  Mike Krzyzewski (919).

Of course another big story in the game was the return of Fab Melo. The seven-foot Orange center had missed the previous three games after undergoing academic issues off the court. But with the big man anchoring the middle once again. the Orange looked lethal, shutting down the Red Storm offense with their 2-3 defense.

Melo helped tremendously in the low post on both sides of the ball, as he was able to score 14 points in just 21 minutes of play. His teammates were the beneficiaries of open shots mainly because the defense had to keep Melo in check when he was on the floor. Dion Waiters played the role of a solid sixth man, coming off the bench to provide a 14-point spark for the Orange. When asked about the difference that Melo on the court, Waiters pointed to several key factors that the stat sheet doesn’t show.

“Just his presence down there,” Waiters told ESPN’s Doris Burke in a postgame interview. “He blocks shots, he takes charges. I can’t lie, we missed him. It’s good to have him back.”

The Syracuse Orange (23-1, 10-1 Big East) won their third consecutive game, with their only loss coming after the start of Fab Melo’s absence at Notre Dame. Forward C.J. Fair was the third Orange player to have a 14-point game, and Kris Joseph and Michael Carter-Williams both contributed 13-points.

For St. John’s (10-13, 4-7 Big East), its freshman-laden team has bared a tough season, now faced with a 0-9 record against Top 25 opponents for the season. With a team full of youth, they can take solace in gaining valuable experience for the future from facing stiff competition. D’Angelo Harrison dropped in a game-high 23 points to go along with 5 assists. Moe Harkless added 15 points and 8 rebounds and Phil Greene dropped in 14.

The game was largely decided a little over halfway into the first half and remained largely out of hand throughout. Perhaps the most notable play was Syracuse’s back-to-back dunks by Carter-Williams and Waiters off a nifty steal by Orange forward James Southerland to give Syracuse a commanding 70-46 advantage.

The great disparity in the final score was shared throughout all major facets of the game. The Orange outrebounded the Red Storm 38-25, won the assist battle 23-14, and shot 56% from the field, compared to 40% by St. John’s.

Syracuse can greatly benefit from utilizing Fab Melo down low whether as a playmaker or a decoy. The toughest game remaining on their schedule may be the next game, when the Orange face off against #14 Georgetown (18-4, 8-3 Big East). Hoyas senior center Henry Sims is starting to heat up, and is proving that can be the all-around player that is capable of leading the Hoyas in points, assists, rebounds, and blocks on any given game. The Orange are more than capable of going into the NCAA Tournament with just one loss, a number one seed, and an overall number one ranking in the polls with their remaining schedule.

For St. John’s, this season is a rebuilding year. They are currently tied for 10th-place and with a sub-.500 record, even if they hypothetically win most of the games left on their schedule, an NIT bid may even be a stretch. But with not much to play for this year, the Red Storm can use the rest of this season to gain more experience on the court as they are one of the teams that are going to be on the upward rise in the Big East for the next few seasons.

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