MSU's Jase Richardson, Son of Former NBA Star Jason, Enters 2025 Draft

Michigan State guard Jase Richardson will declare for the 2025 NBA draft, he told ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Richardson, the son of former NBA star Jason Richardson, is projected as the No. 9 pick in the latest mock draft by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman.

Richardson helped the Spartans win the Big Ten regular season title and make the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Tournament during his freshman season.

After spending 21 games coming off the Spartans' bench, Richardson was elevated to the starting lineup ahead of a Feb. 8 game against Oregon.

He went on to post a career-high 29 points against the Ducks in his first college start, an outing that apparently impressed head coach Tom Izzo enough to keep Richardson in the starting lineup for the remainder of the season.

Richardson averaged 16.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in nine games while helping Michigan State go 8-1 to close out the season.

His postseason was highlighted by a 21-point outing in Michigan State's conference semifinal loss to Wisconsin and a 20-point performance in the Spartans' Sweet 16 win over Ole Miss.

Richardson finished his freshman season having led the Spartans with 41.2 percent shooting from deep while committing just 30 turnovers in 912 total minutes.

Originally projected as a second-round draft pick, Richardson's improvement over the second half of the season may have been enough to get him in the lottery conversation.

Scouts could potentially get another look at Richardson during the draft combine starting May 11, followed by the beginning of the draft on June 25.

Izzo will meanwhile work on rebuilding his roster after the likely departure of Richardson alongside the transfers of Tre Holloman, Xavier Booker and Gehrig Normand and the expiring eligibility of Jaden Akins, Frankie Fidler and Szymon Zapala.