REPORT: Is Jase Richardson the Spartans' Best Draft Prospect?
Jaren Jackson Jr., Max Christie and Draymond Green are holding it down for Michigan State representation in the NBA. In fact, Izzo's pipeline just received some praise from one of the best shooters in the history of the game, Klay Thompson.
"I have had great success with Michigan State guys in my career, and [Christie]'s just another one," Thompson said. "They come in, they know how to defend, they are team players, and he has such a bright future in this league. ... He has a beautiful jump shot, great arc on the ball, backspin, and [you] can't leave him open. He's been a pleasant surprise, and I am excited to share the floor with him for the rest of the season."
Could freshman guard Jace Richardson be the Spartans' best draft prospect?
Richardson has been relegated to bench player status for the majority of the season, but he has shown flashes of brilliance on the court; his starting debut saw the legacy drop 29 points, an assist, five rebounds, and a blocked shot in front of his father, Jason, and the rest of the 2000 national championship team.
ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony touted the freshman on X, formerly known as Twitter, recently.
"Jase Richardson's pace, feel for the game, defensive intensity and scoring efficiency give him a pretty high ceiling to grow into long-term," Givony wrote. "Some NBA scouts wonder what kind of season Richardson would be having if fully unleashed in a friendlier team context."
While "friendlier team context" is an interesting take -- the Spartans are deep everywhere (which is good) -- there is no doubt that Richardson has shown some eye-opening potential. He has averaged 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 22.7 minutes through 23 games.
Earlier in the season, NBA Draft On SI's Isaac Condra called Richardson the "biggest sleeper" in the draft class.
"Among all freshmen guards in college basketball, he’s arguably the best finisher at the rim," Condra wrote. "Richardson has very soft touch, is great at finishing at a variety of different angles and is ambidextrous with his finishing ability. The 6-foot-3 guard is so effective at getting the rim and is efficient when he gets there. But he's more than just a rim finisher, as he has a solid handle to create space. Richardson is also a capable playmaker and is a good shooter.
"On the other end, he’s a great perimeter defender who does a great job of defending without fouling and keeping ball-handlers in front of him. His point-of-attack defense is really good, which is why Tom Izzo trusts him so much as a young freshman. Richardson is a true two-way prospect who plays the right way, and he’s only going to get better on both ends of the floor. It may be too early to tell if he ends up entering the 2025 NBA Draft, but do not be surprised if he ends up as a first round pick in one of the next two drafts."
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