Where Jase Richardson Feels He Left Michigan State

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 2:03 PM ET

Michigan State basketball is facing questions yet again after losing several key players, primarily its freshman sensatin from last season, Jase Richardson.

Richardson, who was drafted by the Orlando Magic this week, decided to declare for the NBA Draft after just one season at Michigan State.

Fans were naturally disappointed, especially considering the program was coming off a Big Ten title and Elite Eight run. With a Richardson return, it's likely this would have been a top-10 team going into next season.

But Richardson believes there's a path to success even without him.

He, of course, had a tie to the program long before joining it, as his father, Jason, is a Spartan legend who won a national title. There's no question Richardson has a love for Michigan State and wants to see it continue to thrive.

"I think we're headed in the right direction, for sure," Richardson said. " ... The team's really talented, they have a great group of guys. And once again, there's doubt with (this) Michigan State team, and hoping the guys do the same thing they did last year and prove everybody wrong."

Michigan State hadn't won a Big Ten championship since 2020 and hadn't reached the Elite Eight since 2019. It went into the 2024-25 season unranked, and now with the loss of transfer junior forward Kaleb Glenn, there's a good chance that will be the case again going into next season.

But if there was ever a testament to Tom Izzo and his ability to defy expectations, it was last season, and Richardson embodied that -- a four-star prospect who came off the bench in his first 21 games would break out as one of the top freshmen in the nation and start to be projected as a lottery pick.

Richardson would be the difference for a Michigan State team that played its best basketball of the season down the stretch and finished the regular season with seven straight wins, securing the conference title by three games.

With the Big Ten expected to be even better next season, the Spartans are being counted out, but Richardson believes the program is still in a good place.

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

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