Malachi Richardson will enter his name into the 2016 NBA Draft but not hire an agent, according to Jim Boeheim via the official Syracuse basketball Twitter account.

In a rule passed by the NCAA earlier this year, underclassmen are able to return to school even if they’ve declared for the draft. They are able to participate in the NBA Draft Combine, which takes place May 11-15, and participate in one NBA team tryout. Richardson will have until May 25 to leave his name in the draft or return to Syracuse.

Richardson ranked second on Syracuse with 13.4 points per game as a freshman and averaged 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest. His most memorable performance came against Virginia in the Elite Eight, when his 21 second-half points helped erase a 16-point deficit with under 20 minutes to go en route to the Orange’s Final Four appearance.

In a statement via the SU basketball Twitter account, Boeheim said, “With the new rules, it’s an opportunity for Malachi to get a better understanding of where he would be in the draft.” Richardson will be able to weigh the opinions of NBA personnel before making a decision to become the latest one-and-done Syracuse standout or return for a second season with the Orange.

Published on April 18, 2016 at 2:27 pm

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman