So! Syracuse—the top seed in the East bracket—just announced that Fab Melo—their starting center and top rebounder—is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament.
Also! Syracuse is playing UNC-Asheville, rated by college basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy as the sixth-best 16-seed in tournament history.
This means! Syracuse will still probably win their first-round game, but maybe they won't? And even if they do, their chances of making a run to the Final Four have taken a huge hit. 'Cuse only lost twice this year, and one of their losses came during a three-game stretch in which Melo was suspended. Small sample size, but OHMYGAH THEY ONLY WON .667% OF THEIR GAMES THIS YEAR WITHOUT MELO, THEY ARE DOOMED.
Joking aside, they're probably doomed.