Illinois' Will Riley, center, scores despite the defensive effort of Michigan State's Carson Cooper, left, and Tre Holloman, right, during the first half on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Draft Prospect Glad He Won't be Playing at Breslin Again

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated May 17, 2025 5:56 PM ET

The NBA Draft Combine wraps up on Sunday, and plenty of prospects have represented the Big Ten, including Michigan State's Jase Richardson.

The conference was a gauntlet last season, and the number of projected first-round picks it produced is a testament to that.

Some of the Big Ten's headliners for next month's draft were asked by Big Ten Network at the combine this week which conference arenas they're happy not to have to play at again.

Purdue's Mackey Arena was a popular answer. Even Richardson said so, and he hadn't even played there in his lone season at Michigan State.

Michigan's Danny Wolf answered Mackey as well, saying it's "not even close." Perhaps a subtle jab at the Spartans? We won't get deep into speculation.

Illinois' Will Riley, the Big Ten's Sixth Man of the Year, was the lone prospect to answer the Breslin Center, which is quite interesting, considering how his trip to East Lansing went last season.

Riley, one of the Fighting Illini's freshmen standouts last season, had 16 points at halftime in that highly anticipated matchup between the two teams many had thought at the time were the best in the conference. He then fouled out in the second half, joining fellow freshman Kasparas Jakucionis.

The foul trouble was a major talking point for Illinois fans afterward, as they felt one-sided officiating had dictated the narrow Michigan State victory.

While Riley may think the Breslin was a tough place to play, his coach, Brad Underwood, didn't think the Spartans were a problem for him.

"They did nothing defensively, he [Riley] diced them up to start the game," Underwood said bluntly after the game. "If anybody thinks that he was guarded very well, there hasn't been one player in the country or one team in the country that's guarded him with any success. He is completely different from anybody else.

"You saw a little 3-minute stretch he went on that he did play, every bucket was easy. He got a layup. He's that dude now. Don't make any mistake, if he's not the best point guard in the country, he is very close, and he's 18 years old."

The Spartans, of course, would eventually prove that neither the officiating nor the venue mattered when they rallied to take down the Illini in Champaign the following month.

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

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