NBA Draft Insider: Jason Richardson's Son Jase 'Made Believers Out of Most Evaluators'

Jase Richardson, who was not projected as a first-round pick ahead of his freshman season at Michigan State, is now considered a potential top-ten selection.

According to The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, the son of former NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion Jason Richardson "has made believers out of most evaluators across the NBA" while starting the last 11 games of the Spartans' season.

Richardson got the opportunity for his first college start when Jeremy Fears Jr. was sidelined by illness ahead of a Feb. 8 home game against Oregon.

The freshman guard responded by committing no turnovers while racking up a career-high 29 points to lead Michigan State to the win.

That performance convinced Tom Izzo to keep Richardson in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.

Richardson has averaged 17.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game over that 11-game stretch, including a team-high 21 points in the Spartans' Big Ten tournament semifinal loss to Wisconsin last Saturday.

Vecenie compared Richardson to New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson for his "ability to find creases in the defense with his pristine footwork."

According to Vecenie, scouts have concerns about Richardson's listed height of 6-foot-3 and whether his defense will be quick enough for NBA standards.

Richardson could potentially help dispel some of those doubts in the NCAA Tournament. As Vecenie put it: "If [Richardson] leads Michigan State on a deep run, his stock has a chance to skyrocket."

After beginning the season as an unranked team Michigan State will enter March Madness as a No. 2 seed, putting the Spartans on track to open the tournament against No. 15 seed Bryant.

Richardson is projected as the No. 8 pick in the upcoming draft in Jonathan Wasserman's latest 2025 NBA Mock Draft for Bleacher Report. Wasserman wrote that Richardson's late-season surge proves "he offers more creativity than the early numbers suggest."

Richardson could up his draft stock further with another high-scoring performance when the Spartans and Bulldogs tip off at Rocket Arena Friday at 10 p.m. ET.