Jase Richardson’s career at Michigan State is officially over.
The deadline to withdraw for the NBA Draft and retain college eligibility officially passed on Wednesday night, and to no surprise there was no news surrounding Richardson. This would suggest he has remained in the NBA Draft and can no longer return to Michigan State for another season of college hoops.
Richardson starred for the Spartans in his lone season in college, averaging 12.1 points per game and shooting better than 40% from 3-point range. The first half of the season he primarily came off the bench as a key reserve, but he was inserted into the starting lineup for the final two months and quickly became the Spartans’ top player en route to a Big Ten championship and Elite Eight run in the NCAA Tournament.
Richardson’s strong play as a true freshman has resulted in many projecting him to be selected in this year’s first round of the NBA Draft. The mock drafts vary in where he’ll be selected but it seems quite clear he’ll go anywhere from the late lottery to late first round.
The possibility of Richardson returning gave some (including myself) the opportunity to dream of an elite-level Spartans’ squad for next season. But even with Richardson officially gone, Michigan State is projected to contend again for a Big Ten title and enter next year as a top 15-20 team nationally.
The NBA Draft will be held on June 25-26, with the first round on the first day and the second round on the second day. The NBA Draft will be televised on ABC and ESPN so plan on tuning in on the first night to see Richardson be the latest Spartan selected to play at the highest level of basketball.
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