MSU Looking For Another Strong Performance From Richardson

The Michigan State Spartans will conclude their Big Ten championship-winning season against their in-state rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, at the Breslin Center on Sunday as the Spartans look to end the year off on another high note.

The rivalry between MSU and the Wolverines has spanned for decades now, with each year getting more intense than the last. The contest tonight will be the second time the two programs squared off against one another, with the first round going to the Spartans.

A victory over Michigan would not only send East Lansing into a frenzy, but it would also be a nice cap-off to another terrific season of Spartan basketball. That being said, the job is far from over, as the Spartans will need everything they have to take down their bitter rivals.

One player that has stepped up for the Spartans as of late has been freshman guard Jase Richardson. He rose to the occasion when MSU needed another scorer alongside senior Jaden Akins and has done everything but disappoint.

Since his breakout performance against the Oregon Ducks, Richardson has averaged 16.7 points per game, which also included a strong performance in the first game against the Wolverines. In MSU's victory over Michigan last month, Richardson was able to put up 21 points in 33 minutes of time on the court.

He showed up the last time MSU needed him to against the Wolverines, and the final contest of the year shouldn't be any different. Along with his 21 points, Richardson also turned in six rebounds and three steals while drilling 50% of the shots he took beyond the arch.

With Akins moving on at the end of the campaign, Richardson has made himself a shoo-in to be considered the future of MSU basketball. Pairing Richardson alongside Coach Tom Izzo, who joined elite company with the Spartans' Big Ten title victory, the future looks to be in good hands.

However, the Wolverines will likely know that part of the Spartans' game plan is to get the ball to Richardson as often as possible, which will only create more problems for MSU. If Richardson is unable to get open, perhaps another up-and-coming Spartan can step forward and shine, once again demonstrating this team's "strength in numbers."

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