Jase Richardson is entering the NBA draft, a year or two sooner than his father expected.
The Michigan State freshman announced his decision on social media Tuesday.
“I'm forever grateful to the Spartan community for all their support throughout the season and honored to be a Spartan Dawg,” Richardson wrote in a post.
His father, Jason Richardson, a former Spartans star and NBA standout, helped his son gather feedback from the league to assist in the decision-making process.
“I have a lot of ties in the NBA — know a lot of GMs and scouts — and heard he would probably be a late, lottery pick,” Jason Richardson told The Associated Press. “He’s pursuing the dream he’s had since he was a kid.
"I’m surprised it happened this fast. I knew he was a really good basketball player, but I didn’t think he would be one and done. I thought he would take two years, maybe three, but he did some amazing things and helped his team accomplish some great things.”
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 12.5 points, making 48.5% of his shots overall and 41.1% of 3-pointers. He helped Michigan State win the Big Ten title by three games and advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
For Michigan State's national championship team in 2000, Jason Richardson averaged five points in 15 minutes as a freshman for coach Tom Izzo. He stayed for his sophomore season and nearly tripled his scoring production.
“Coach Izzo was the first to say Jase should test the waters, and it was the same thing he told me when I had an opportunity to go to the NBA,” Richardson told the AP. “He was supportive and positive about Jase's decision.”
During the season, Izzo told reporters that Richardson should enter the draft and praised the process that led to his decision.
“Not only did I say it publicly, I encouraged him and his family,” Izzo told the AP. "I have no issues the way this was handed by Jase, his family or the agent. We're all on the same page. This is absolutely the right decision.
“I'm pulling for him and I hope Michigan State fans are, too.”
Izzo is working on filling some big sneakers this offseason.
Richardson is the fourth player to leave the program early, joining Tre Holloman, Xavier Booker and Gehrig Normand after they entered the transfer portal last week. Booker is transferring to UCLA.
The Spartans also will lose a trio of key players who have no more eligibility: Jaden Akins, Szymon Zapala and Frankie Fidler.
Izzo will hope to retain two starters, point guard Jeremy Fears and center Jaxon Kohler, along with high-flying wing Coen Carr and 6-11 center Carson Cooper for next season's team, which also will have four-star recruits Cam Ward and Jordan Scott.
“I like my team coming back next year,” Izzo said.
The 6-3, 185-pound Richardson was perhaps the most consistent player for the surprising Spartans, who were unranked for the first month of the season in the AP Top 25 and surged as Richardson took on a larger role.
Richardson started for the first time midway through the season when Fears was out with an illness, and after scoring a career-high 29 points in a win over Oregon, he didn't come off the bench again.
“There can’t be many guys that I’ve coached that are as efficient and as confident — not cocky, not arrogant,” Izzo said.
Richardson averaged nearly two assists and fewer than one turnover per game.
“He impacts the game in so many ways,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “His poise is extremely impressive, especially factored in that he’s a freshman.”
Entering the Big Ten Tournament, Richardson was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the third straight week and earned a spot on the All-Big Ten third team.
“He’s efficient in every facet and his demeanor is really like an upperclassman," TV analyst Robbie Hummel said. "I just love his calmness.”
___
Follow Larry Lage at https://apnews.com/author/larry-lage
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Larry Lage, The Associated Press
