When Malachi Richardson left Syracuse for the NBA, fans thought it was too soon for the one-and-done guard to take off the Syracuse uniform. Four years later, he’s back.
Malachi Richardson, a one-and-done guard from the 2015-2016 Final Four run, is set to play in The Basketball Tournament with Boeheim’s Army, the Syracuse alumni team, for the first time this summer. The Trenton, NJ native averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Orange. He is best known for toppling Virginia, a one-seed, in the Elite Eight with 23 points. 
Michardson joins former teammate Tyler Lydon and Eric Devendorf as the first three players on the 2020 Boeheim’s Army roster.
The 24-year-old is set to be the youngest member of the alumni squad. He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 22nd pick, and immediately traded to the Sacramento Kings. Richardson played in the NBA from 2016-2019 for the Kings and Toronto Raptors, but split time in the G-League in each of his four seasons. He played in Italy for only about a month before fracturing his hand this season, which required surgery and shelved him for the year. The team released him after the surgery.
The Basketball Tournament should give Richardson a chance to show that his hand has healed, and propel him to another high level international contract, at the very least.
Richardson will give Boeheim’s Army a scoring jolt, much like the famed Virginia game. He’ll also provide Boeheim’s Army with strong shooting from outside. Richardson shot over 35% from range in his freshman season at SU.
Perimeter shooting seems to be a focus for General Manager Kevin Belbey with the addition of Tyler Lydon as well. Lydon shot 40% from deep for the Orange.
Boeheim’s Army is hosting one of the regions this year at SRC Arena on the campus of Onondaga County Community College. It’s a 64 team single elimination tournament. The winning team splits the $2 million prize. Boeheim’s Army, a one-seed, was upset in the regional final last year.
