Making Jase Richardson's Big Ten FOY Case

Michigan State star Jase Richardson has come out of nowhere to be one of the team’s top players.

Probably the least heralded recruit in the three-man 2024 class, Richardson has been a key reason why Tom Izzo’s team is in a great position to win the Big Ten title.

Richardson is averaging 11.0 points per game, hitting 52 percent of his shots and connecting on 39.2 percent of his 3-pointers. He has come up with clutch buckets whenever the team has needed them.

Because of how much he has helped the Spartans’ resurgence, Richardson has built a strong case to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He has some tough competition, but he has as good a chance to win it as anyone.

Let’s break down why Richardson should be the favorite to take home the hardware.

Richardson has been MSU’s go-to scorer at many points this season. When the team needs someone to take over a game and put the ball in the basket, they turn to their 19-year-old.

He has won Big Ten Freshman of the Week for two consecutive weeks.

Not many teams in the country can say they rely on their freshman star as their main scoring threat. Only a few, like Duke and Maryland, can say for certain that they do.

Speaking of Maryland, star center Derik Queen is likely Richardson’s biggest competition for the award. He has had an excellent season and should be an early first-round pick in next year’s NBA Draft.

However, Richardson is directly contributing to a potential conference title-winning squad. Winning is always a major boost when it comes to individual awards.

MSU has several experienced guards on its roster, so it would have made sense if Richardson got buried and had to make his money when someone like Jaden Akins left. However, he was too good for Izzo to ignore, earning a starting role midway through the season.

The Spartans are 6-1 when Richardson starts and have won their last five. In those seven starts, he has averaged 16 points per game.

Richardson has been the freshman most responsible for his team’s success, which should give him a serious shot at winning the award.

While he does not always post big numbers like Queen does or have the headline-grabbing name like Ace Bailey or Dylan Harper, Richardson puts the ball in the basket and helps his team win games.

That alone should allow him to win it.

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