Michigan State's Jase Richardson wears his father Jason's jersey while slamming the ball during the dunk contest during the Michigan State Madness event on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Father's Day: MSU Was Blessed With the Richardson Name

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Jun 15, 2025 2:31 PM ET

Michigan State fans were overjoyed when the Spartans earned the commitment of the son of one of the greatest players to come through the basketball program, Jason Richardson.

Jase Richardson was a four-star and one of the best combo guards in the class of 2024. At the time, all that really mattered was the name, and the player was an afterthought.

That is no longer the case, as Jase Richardson established himself as a great collegiate player in his own right, who is now on the verge of entering the NBA as a likely first-round pick, perhaps even a lottery.

What a story it was.

Nobody really saw it coming, at least not in his freshman season. But despite coming off the bench to start the season, it didn't take long until it started to become clear that the freshman legacy truly was the Spartans' best player, even before his 29-point burst against Oregon in February.

From that game on, though, Michigan State had its go-to scorer that fans had been waiting to see emerge. Jase Richardson was one of the main reasons the Spartans went on the Big Ten title run they did, and the rest of the nation took notice along the way.

No more was Jase Richardson being referred to as "the son of Jason Richardson" on initial mention. His game did all the talking, and it only further magnified what had -- in hindsight -- been yet another massive commitment for Tom Izzo.

And then there were the similarities between Jase Richardson and his father's freshman seasons, particularly their respective teams. Jason Richardson's, of course, was the last Spartan team to win it all, and last season was the 25th anniversary of that memorable squad that netted Izzo his only national title.

Both teams won the Big Ten, and both went on deep tournament runs that started in Cleveland, only Jase Richardson's, of course, came up short in the Elite Eight.

Ultimately, though, Jase Richardson will be remembered as a Spartan legend, and while he didn't see the same level of success as his father did, his short stint in East Lansing will always be regarded as a special one.

Spartan fans were fortunate to have such a legacy.

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

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