Michigan State guard Jase Richardson announced that he will be entering the NBA Draft on Tuesday. It does not appear that he will consider withdrawing from the process and return to MSU for another year.
Currently, Richardson is projected by most media outlets to be a top-14 pick in the first round, colloquially known as a ‘lottery’ pick. Someone picked 14th in the NBA Draft can expect to see a first-year salary of roughly $4 million, but there is a good chance Richardson would get picked earlier than that and get a bit more money.
Richardson is in this position because of his phenomenal freshman season in the green and white. The 6-foot-3 freshman that came to MSU as a high four-star recruit averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while being Michigan State’s best shooter; hitting threes at a 41.3% clip and making 83.6% of his free throws.
Those averages are also a little lower than they really should be. In the 21 games Richardson played in prior to making his first start, he never played more than 25 minutes in a game. He played at least 26 in MSU’s final 15 games, all of which he did start, and averaged 16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists on similar shooting percentages.
Richardson is now set to become the 66th NBA draft pick in Michigan State history and be the 22nd first-rounder. Richardson would also be Izzo’s 23rd draftee during his 30 years at Michigan State and be the 12th to go in the first round.
MSU also has not had a first-round selection since 2018, when Jaren Jackson Jr. and Miles Bridges went fourth and 12th overall, respectively.
Richardson is also set to become the second member of his immediate family to play in the NBA. His father, Jason Richardson, was a role player on the national championship-winning 2000 Michigan State team before becoming an All-American the following season, leading the Spartans to another Final Four in the process. He was picked fifth overall by the Golden State Warriors in that year’s draft before having a 13-year NBA career with five different teams.
As for when Jase will get selected, the first round of the NBA Draft will start on Wednesday, June 25 at 8 p.m. ET. The second round will also be held the following day.
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