Former Spartans basketball player Jason Richardson talks to the crowd during the Michigan State Madness Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

5-star MSU legacy recruit excludes Spartans from final 10 list, includes Michigan

Originally posted on Michigan Wolverines on SI
By Jerred Johnson | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 8:10 PM ET

Michigan State basketball has not struggled against the Michigan basketball program for the duration of head coach Tom Izzo's legendary Hall of Fame career. While that may not change based on the decision of a single recruit, this story remains quite shocking, nonetheless. When it comes to competing for talent, MSU and Izzo have had the upper hand more times than not over Michigan. The winningest coach in Big Ten history has had a virtual stranglehold on in-state talent and legacy recruits as well. Dusty May and the Wolverines may have begun to turn the tide.

5 Jaxon Richardson has included Michigan in his top 10 schools — but not Michigan State

His brother was just drafted in the first round, and his father was a lottery pick — both out of MSU. pic.twitter.com/sVVAiKQ0Fa
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) July 8, 2025

Five-star Jaxon Richardson is the son of Michigan State legend and NBA All-Star Jason Richardson. His brother, Jase, was just a lottery pick after his first year at MSU. Jaxon may be blazing his path in college. He recently released a top 10 list of potential college suitors, with one notable exception: Michigan State was not in that top 10.

Now, do I think MSU is out of the running here? Not. There is a ton of recruiting left to do, and Izzo will have the family on his side when he starts to ramp up his efforts. It is still astonishing that Michigan made the first cut, while MSU did not. Dusty May is doing some extraordinary things in Ann Arbor, and he is truly fearless when it comes to pursuing the talent he wants.

This article first appeared on Michigan Wolverines on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: