Spartans' Richardson Turns in Career Response After Prior Struggles

Michigan State freshman guard Jase Richardson is the real deal. He scored a career high on Saturday afternoon in a win over the Oregon Ducks as he stepped into the starting role for the first time this year.

Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans On SI

The No. 9 Michigan State Spartans (19-4, 10-2) rallied for a second-half comeback that would erase a 14-point halftime deficit and push them to a 86-74 win over the Oregon Ducks (16-8, 5-8) on Saturday afternoon at the Breslin Center.

A ton of credit must go to freshman guard Jase Richardson, who put together the best performance of his young Spartan career. What he showed on Saturday has proven that even as a first-year player, Richardson has the ability to be one of the more elite talents in the country.

With redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. being ruled out of the game due to an illness, Richardson had to step up into a much larger role and made the first start of his career. He did not disappoint in the slightest, taking over the contest in the second half.

The true freshman posted a career-high 29 points on 9-13 shooting from the field. He was 3-6 from 3-point range and 8-9 from the free-throw line, adding five rebounds and zero turnovers to his stat line as well. Richardson is the real deal and a promising piece for this program's future.

Richardson was in dire need of a bounce-back game after going 0-6 from the field with just four points earlier this week against UCLA on the road. He did just that, helping the Spartans snap their two-game losing streak and remain undefeated at the Breslin Center this year (12-0).

In the final minutes of the second half, Richardson was putting on a show for the home fans as well as his father and Spartan legend, Jason Richardson. Funny enough, his father's career high was just 25 points across his three-year career. Jase already surpassed that number in his first 21 games.

One play featured Richardson jumping out of the gym to swat a shot into the crowd. Another had him slicing and dicing a defender all the way for a smooth layup that had the Spartan bench and crowd going absolutely nuts. He continues to show why he is one of the team's most dangerous players.

"Hang it in the Louvre!" said FOX play-by-play broadcaster Brandon Gaudin after Richardson completed the highlight play that would put the Spartans ahead by 10 points with 4:13 left to play.

JASE RICHARDSON MY GOODNESS ‼️‼️ @MSU_Basketball #B1GMBBall on FOX 📺 pic.twitter.com/XkwFdFGpJK

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 8, 2025

Good players perform well when they are on a hot streak, but great players do it when they are struggling. Richardson used his poor performance against UCLA on Tuesday as extra motivation to drive him toward the best game of his career. That is what separates him as an elite ball player.

Fears will likely return to the starting lineup when he becomes healthy, but do not be surprised if Richardson continues to be incorporated into the starting five after what he showed this weekend. His ability to impact the game in a winning way is something that the Spartans need on the floor.

Michigan State will be back in action on Tuesday night when it hosts the Indiana Hoosiers (14-9, 5-7) at the Breslin Center. It will be another opportunity for Richardson to shine and showcase his talents in front of the home crowd while proving to the rest of the Big Ten that he means business.

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