Fab Melo, former Syracuse basketball star, dead at 26

Fab Melo was the 2012 Big East Defensive Player of the Year.
Fab Melo was the 2012 Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

Fab Melo, who was a center at Syracuse before moving to Brazil to play basketball professionally, died in his native South American country on Saturday.

He was 26.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim told ESPN the cause of death is not yet known, but according to a report from Brazil, Melo died in his sleep. He lived with his mother and two sisters.

The Boston Celtics drafted Melo with the 22nd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the same year he was named Big East…