Michigan State's Kur Teng shoots against Ferris State during the first half on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Will Kur Teng Have a Richardson-Like Season for MSU?

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Carter Landis | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Michigan State Spartans are looking to replace the scoring production left on the table by guard Jase Richardson.

The son of MSU star Jason Richardson, the freshman came out of nowhere to be the Spartans’ best scorer down the stretch of a Big Ten title-winning season.

Because of his emergence, Richardson declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, leaving MSU without one of its top guards. It became clear quickly that he would not be back for his sophomore season.

With Richardson off to the pros, Tom Izzo is looking to find someone to fill his spot. It will be difficult to find a player who can replicate Richardson's performance last year, but Izzo has been in this position long enough to know where to look.

One player he could consider for that role is sophomore Kur Teng. A player who did not get much run as a freshman, we could see much more of the New Hampshire product in the 2025-26 season.

Teng appeared in 19 games but only played 3 minutes per game during his freshman season, only netting half a point per game. It was clear he was not a meaningful part of last year’s rotation, but many could see he would be an integral part of the future.

Now that several Spartan guards have departed (Richardson, Tre Holloman and Jaden Akins), minutes are wide open for Teng to take. He worked hard all throughout his first season in East Lansing, and now he should reap the benefits.

In many ways, Teng resembles Richardson’s on-court demeanor. They are both composed self-creators who are rarely sped up.

That should come in handy next season as the Spartans look for a player to lead the scoring charge. It may be a lot to ask of Teng in his sophomore season, but Richardson took over that role fairly easily.

MSU recruited a few guards who will be in the mix this offseason, including Samford transfer Trey Fort. However, it would not be surprising to see Teng and Fort compete for the starting shooting guard role.

The Spartans need a scoring spark entering the 2025-26 season. Teng could step into that role with another year of development.

Izzo could make another deep tournament run if Teng turns out like Richardson at all.

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

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