Fab Melo is entering the NBA draft after averaging 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds for Syracuse this past season.

“After meeting with my mother, my family and coach Boeheim, I have decided to enter my name into the 2012 NBA Draft. Being able to play professional basketball has been my dream since I first starting playing this game and now I have the opportunity to accomplish that dream. Coach Boeheim, coach Hopkins and the rest of the Syracuse staff have helped me develop as a player and as a man and I will always be appreciative for what they’ve done for me. I wish Syracuse University, the basketball program and the Syracuse fans nothing but the best.”

Melo, a 7-foot center from Brazil, was named the Big East’s Defensive Player of the Year.