Do you know who Fab Melo is? Neither do I. But don't let our lack of knowledge restrain you: Apparently Fab Melo is one of the top recruits in the 2010 class. Rivals has him ranked at No. 5 overall and No. 2 at the center position. He's 7 feet tall. He appears to be quite good at basketball. As Ballin Is A Habit blogged yesterday, Melo firmly committed to play his basketball for Syracuse, meaning he'll be yet another Melo to take the highly touted freshman reins in Jim Boeheim's storied program. 

All that is well and good, but I'd like to focus on what's really important here: that name. Because holy wow, that name is awesome. 

It should be mentioned here that Fab Melo isn't actually this young man's name; it's a derivative of Fabricio de Melo, which sounds Brazilian because it is. 

Or, like, something Jamie Kennedy would think was funny. That Melo is by all accounts a relatively modest kid who discovered basketball in his home country at a late age -- he, like most Brazilians, grew up playing soccer -- and developed into a basketball phenom at a young age only makes that name better. 

Anyway, welcome, Fab Melo. We strange-named fellow travelers turn our lonely eyes to you. 

De Melo started out on the recruiting circuit using his full name. Then he started tearing up fellow high schoolers, and his basketball coach, Weston (Fla.) Sagemont Upper School's Adam Ross, nominated something different: 

"Everyone was calling him Fabio, Fabian and finally I just said, 'You know what, I see Brazilian soccer players go by one name,' " Ross said. " 'We gotta find a shorter name for you, like Yao or something. How about Fab Melo?' " The young man looked at Ross and smiled. 

"OK, Fab Melo," he said. "Now he's Fab Melo," Ross concurred. 

Adam Zagoria says the name sounds like a boy band or a soft drink, but the first thing that came to my mind was Jerry Springer. It sounds like the sort of vaguely hip-hop-y name someone would give themselves before they go on Jerry Springer or Maury Povich.