NEW YORK — The Sacramento Kings selected Malachi Richardson via the Charlotte Hornets with the 22nd overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

The former Syracuse standout finally received validation of his decision to leave school after just one year. Richardson averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his freshman season for the Orange. His most notable performance came in the second half of Syracuse’s Elite Eight comeback against Virginia, when he scored 21 points in the final 20 minutes to lead SU to the Final Four.

It was after that game that Richardson started popping up on draft boards. His subsequent workouts and Pro Day in Las Vegas aided his stock even more. On Wednesday, inside the Manhattan Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt hotel, Richardson exuded confidence and said he’s athletic enough, can play man-to-man defense despite playing in SU’s zone and can make shots consistently at the NBA level – three knocks on him preceding the draft.

Richardson played on the wing at Syracuse, manning the “3” when Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney composed the backcourt. He said Wednesday that he thinks he’s exclusively a two-guard in the NBA, the position he would’ve played had he returned to school.

Richardson’s selection stretches the streak of Syracuse players selected to five years. The last time Jim Boeheim didn’t send a player to the NBA was 2011.