Former Michigan State freshman sensation Jase Richardson shone for the program down the stretch of his first season in the Big Ten. So much so that he saw his NBA Draft stock rise rapidly.
After the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament, he would announce he would be testing the waters of the NBA Draft.
While the draft is a way away, and the primary focus is on the current NBA Playoffs, the former Spartan has already caught momentum when it comes to mock drafts. In his latest mock draft, CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno has Richardson seeing his name get taken off the board by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 15th overall pick.
“Richardson started the season in a reserve role at Michigan State and blossomed into the best player on Tom Izzo’s squad,” Salerno wrote. “Richardson is a great mid-range shooter and was fantastic at finishing around the rim during his lone season in East Lansing.”
When MSU coach Tom Izzo needed a player to step up in a big way when senior Jaden Akins was riding the skids of a cold streak, Richardson was the one to step up to the challenge. While he didn’t have many starts this past season, he made the most of every start he had down the stretch.
Richardson made 15 starts in his 36 games with the program. His presence on the court was slowly becoming intimidating to the Spartans’ opponents as they fought their way into the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Averaging 12.1 points in those 36 games, Richardson dropped 437 total points on the season. The big thing about him is that he showed his skills in being while being teachable. His gratitude towards both MSU’s program and Coach Izzo was felt in his farewell message to the rest of his teammates.
If the Thunder were to select Richardson, the team would be getting a player with the dedication and drive of a future star. Not to mention that OKC would continue to be a feared franchise by adding a talent like Richardson along the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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