After presumably hearing positive feedback from NBA personnel, Syracuse freshman Malachi Richardson signed with an agent on Monday morning, officially ending his brief college career and making himself eligible for the NBA Draft set to take place in just over one month.
Richardson blew up come NCAA Tournament time after scoring 20 or more points just three times during the regular season–he did twice in the Big Dance, including in their Elite Eight win over Virginia. Still, he did put up 13.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a freshman for a team that was really expected to struggle this season. Then, when he announced he’d go through the evaluation process for the NBA Draft and attend the NBA Combine, most of the talk around him suggested that he needed to return for his sophomore season and prove that he could be efficient with the basketball. As a freshman, he shot just 36.9-percent from the field and 35.3-percent from three in addition to averaging 2.1 turnovers per game.
But a great performance at the NBA Combine sealed his fortunes, apparently. As of now, he’s projected anywhere from a mid-lottery pick to a fringe top 25 pick, which would more than justify his decision to leave.
With his star leaving for the NBA, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim now must usher in a quick rebuild before his impending retirement in 2018. Four-star prospects Tyus Battle and Matthew Moyer should help him in that process, especially if they can have the kind of impact as Syracuse freshmen are known for.
