Twice a hero, two times a villain — that is Fab Melo.

Once the subject of adulation upon committing to Syracuse, his supporters quickly soured when an overweight, underachievingMelo endured a horrific freshman season that drew comparisons to some of college basketball’s biggest busts.

He was “deep in the doghouse,” as ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla put it, failing to live up to the expectations that come with being one of the country’s prized recruits.

A year later, though, and he was Fab Melo 2.0. A drastic physical transformation bred confidence, which in turn bred results in the form of the 2012 Big East Defensive Player of the Year award. He was finally what he was supposed to be.

“I think the first year the expectations were so unrealistic, and Fab didn’t ask for the bar to be set that high,” said Adam Ross, Melo’s coach at Sagemont High School in Florida.

But as suddenly as Fab Melo burst onto the national stage, his fall was perhaps even quicker. Melo was ruled ineligible for the 2012 NCAA Tournament, greatly diminishing SU’s hopes of a national title in a season where the Orange began the year 20-0 due in large part to its resurgent Brazilian center.

Now, three months removed from his final game at Syracuse, Melo is on the verge of becoming an NBA draft pick. A standout sophomore season, one that came seemingly out of nowhere, launched his stock high enough to make him a potential first-round selection in Thursday’s draft, though the circumstances of his departure left a bitter taste in the mouths of SU fans.

“Obviously it didn’t end the way he or anyone wanted it to,” said Ross, who told The Daily Orange that Melo was academically ineligible for the NCAA Tournament.“And I’m sure if he had the opportunity to do it all over again he would, and he would do it differently.

“People make mistakes, he made one and it impacted a lot of people.”

Multiple calls to Melo’s cell phone were not returned.

At 7 feet tall and weighing more than 250 pounds, Melo was given physical tools that few other players have — traits that ooze potential to coaches and NBA general managers.

But poor conditioning and a difficult adjustment to the college level marred his freshman season at Syracuse. He struggled to run up and down the court for more than a few possessions at a time. He looked lethargic. He was wildly ineffective.

His averages — 2.3 points per game, 1.9 rebounds, 0.8 blocks — were lackluster.

“He went from a non-entity as a freshman, deep in the dog house, to where he became one of the best defensive players in college basketball,” Fraschilla said.

Melo shed 30 pounds between his freshman and sophomore season and entered 2011-12 in the best shape of his short basketball career.

Once slow and without stamina, Melo was suddenly energized and active on the court. He went from playing 9.9 minutes per game as a freshman to 25.4 minutes per game as a sophomore. His points per game more than tripled to 7.8, and his shotblocking — 2.9 per game — was amongst the nation’s best.

Melo had swagger out on the court. Opponents feared the middle of the Syracuse 2-3 zone, and the 7-foot anchor even mimicked DikembeMutombo’s finger wag after blocking a shot.

“There are very few 7-foot guys, 255-pounds that can do the things he can do,” SU head coach Jim Boeheim said.

So despite missing the NCAA Tournament, where Syracuse ultimately fell to Ohio State in the Elite Eight after it was unable to control the 6-foot-9, 280-pound Jared Sullinger in the second half, Melo cemented his place as a worthy draft option.

“His range is probably 20 to 40,” one NBA front office member said. “He changed his body pretty drastically this past year. He’s got big, long arms. He gives good energy when he’s on the court.

“His hallmark right now is his size, his shotblocking and his defense.”

Boeheim thinks he will be a first-round selection, and the NBA front office member said it wouldn’t surprise him to see a team take a chance on Melo in the mid-to-late teens.

Jonathan Givony, president of DraftExpress, said he sees Melo firmly in the 20-30 range.

“He’s a legit 7-footer, and he’s a pretty mobile one at that,” Givony said. “That automatically puts him in a pretty unique class of prospects.”

After a collegiate career bookended by disappointment, Melo is about to take the next step come Thursday night. He will watch the draft in Miami with family and friends, including Ross.

Melo tweeted on Tuesday that his mother made the trip up to Florida from Brazil to soak in the moment.

He’s been scrutinized and chastised, lauded and praised. But those who have stuck by his side — Ross, Boeheim and his SU teammates — are pleased with how it all turned out.

Said Boeheim: “I’m very happy for him. I think he’s a very good kid, and I think he has worked very hard. He helped our program, and I think he deserves a good opportunity.”

Published on June 28, 2012 at 9:55 am

Contact Michael: mjcohe02@syr.edu | @Michael_Cohen13