Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski
Richardson Taken 22nd Overall
6/23/2016 4:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Malachi Richardson now officially begins the next stage of his basketball career after being selected in the first round and 22nd overall in the NBA Draft by Charlotte. Richardson is the 22nd Syracuse player drafted in the first round.
Syracuse has now had a player drafted in the first round in five consecutive years. Richardson joins Chris McCullough (29th overall, 2015), Tyler Ennis (18th, 2014), Michael Carter-Williams (11th, 2013) and Dion Waiters (4th, 2012) and Fab Melo (22nd, 2012).
Richardson had a breakout freshman year with the Orange, starting all 37 games and helping Syracuse reach the 2016 Final Four. He averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Richardson had 79 3-pointers, the third-best mark on the team. He scored in double digits in 31 of 37 outings.
He had a dramatic performance in the 2016 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight encounter with Virginia. Richardson scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half and helped the Orange recover from a 16-point deficit to win and advance to the Final Four. He was named the MVP of the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Richardson was named to the ACC All-Freshman team. His 496 points represented the fifth-best freshman total at Syracuse. Only Donte Greene (90) and Gerry McNamara (85) had more 3-pointers as freshmen than Richardson (79).
Syracuse All-Americans Derrick Coleman and Billy Owens are the only freshmen who started more games (38) than Richardson (37).
Syracuse has now had a player drafted in the first round in five consecutive years. Richardson joins Chris McCullough (29th overall, 2015), Tyler Ennis (18th, 2014), Michael Carter-Williams (11th, 2013) and Dion Waiters (4th, 2012) and Fab Melo (22nd, 2012).
Richardson had a breakout freshman year with the Orange, starting all 37 games and helping Syracuse reach the 2016 Final Four. He averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Richardson had 79 3-pointers, the third-best mark on the team. He scored in double digits in 31 of 37 outings.
He had a dramatic performance in the 2016 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight encounter with Virginia. Richardson scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half and helped the Orange recover from a 16-point deficit to win and advance to the Final Four. He was named the MVP of the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Richardson was named to the ACC All-Freshman team. His 496 points represented the fifth-best freshman total at Syracuse. Only Donte Greene (90) and Gerry McNamara (85) had more 3-pointers as freshmen than Richardson (79).
Syracuse All-Americans Derrick Coleman and Billy Owens are the only freshmen who started more games (38) than Richardson (37).
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/ Men's Basketball
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