Malachi Richardson (Hamilton, N.J./Trenton Catholic), the 12th-ranked prospect in the Class of 2015, made a verbal commitment to Syracuse on Friday afternoon.
His decision comes a little more than two weeks after he cut his list to six schools -- Villanova, Rutgers, Arizona, Indiana, Syracuse and Connecticut.
Richardson joins 6-foot-8 forward Tyler Lydon as the second prospect in the 2015 class to make an early commitment to Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.
Still a high school junior, Richardson has been a celebrated prospect for some time and was also recruited by the likes of North Carolina, Kansas, Ohio State, Florida, Georgetown and Miami before cutting his list.
The 6-6 swingman has taken a series of unofficial visits this fall, most recently to watch the Orange play Indiana.
His pledge to Syracuse reunites him with Orange freshman Tyler Roberson, with whom he teamed last season at Roselle Catholic, where they led their squad to the New Jersey Tournament of Champions title.
Richardson is also a product of Team Final, a Nike sponsored grassroots program that has risen to national prominence in recent years. Other alums include Syracuse's Rakeem Christmas, B.J. Johnson and Trevor Cooney.
Richardson is highly skilled and has great size and length for the perimeter, which makes him a natural fit within Syracuse's 2-3 zone.
He's a high-level shooter who should be able to contribute immediately. Richardson has deep range and can also make tough, contested shots because of his size and high release point, and he has a sttong mid-range game to match.
