Did MSU Learn Jase Richardson's Real Position?

The Michigan State Spartans got a big boost from Jase Richardson in their win against Oregon on Saturday afternoon.

The freshman stepped into Jeremy Fears Jr.’s starting role, who was out with an illness and did not disappoint. He went for a career-high 29 points on 9-of-13 from the field, along with five rebounds and an emphatic block.

All season, Tom Izzo has looked for a ‘go-to’ scorer to take over the game on offense when the team needs a scoring punch. Richardson’s calm demeanor and crafty self-creation ability were fully on display as MSU completed a double-digit comeback win.

With Richardson stepping into a starting role, did Izzo learn something about his freshman? Is he actually a point guard, rather than the two-guard he had been playing off the bench?

The offense did not miss a beat when Richardson was running the show. Tre Holloman had more assists than Richardson, but Holloman also turned the ball over several times with sloppy dribbling and careless passes.

If Izzo wants to run a two-guard lineup with Richardson and Holloman in Fears’ absence, Richardson should be playing point guard so he can direct traffic and look for his own shot.

After Tyson Walker’s departure, MSU fans wondered where the team’s scoring would come from. It arrived in the form of an MSU legacy who stepped in as a freshman and contributed immediately.

It is crucial for Richardson’s NBA future for him to play point guard, as he is too small to play the two at the professional level. If he can show more playmaking and facilitating abilities, he could solidify himself as a first-round pick.

While fans wouldn’t like that, Izzo always operates in the best interest of his players’ future, so he may continue to play Richardson as his lead guard when Fears is not in the game. It also helps MSU on offense, so it may be a no-brainer.

While Fears is the team’s point guard, Richardson provided a scoring spark the sophomore has not yet shown. Could Richardson cut into his minutes for that reason?

Probably not, but Izzo may have learned something new about Richardson in his excellent performance.

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