MSU’guard Richardson Shocked his Teammates, Send Strong Message After Uncharacteristic Showing performance
Michigan State freshman guard Jase Richardson had a challenging and atypical performance during Sunday’s NCAA Tournament second-round victory over the No. 10 New Mexico Lobos. Despite his difficulties, he remained supportive of his teammates and stayed prepared, regardless of his individual performance.
In the Spartans’ 71-63 win that sent them to the Sweet 16 for the third time since 2019, Richardson recorded 6 points, four assists, and four rebounds. After the game, he offered a straightforward assessment of his scoring woes.
“I think shots just weren’t falling for me,” Richardson explained. “I felt like I had a couple good looks, rushed my shots, and they just didn’t go in. Every shot I took felt decent to solid, but tonight they just weren’t dropping.”
This marked Richardson’s lowest scoring output since he scored just four points in a road loss to UCLA earlier in February. It was the first time he failed to reach double figures since that outing, but he was quick to commend his teammates for stepping up in his absence.
“It was a team effort; I was the one struggling tonight, and my teammates lifted me up,” Richardson said. “Tre [Holloman] had a big game, Jaden [Akins] was outstanding, and Coen [Carr] and Frankie [Fidler] also performed incredibly. Our bigs did a great job, and everyone contributed, except for me.”
Even though Richardson struggled with an icy 0-for-9 shooting night, Coach Tom Izzo showed his trust in the freshman by re-inserting him late in the game.
Richardson responded by scoring all six of his points in the closing moments. He maintained his confidence, taking another three-pointer, getting fouled, and converting all three free throws. Shortly thereafter, he executed a well-timed offensive rebound for a put-back and drew an additional free throw.
“Coach [Izzo] put me back in and told me to make some plays because he still believed in me,” Richardson said. “[I] got down there, hit a few free throws, and had the put-back, so I’m just happy I could contribute to the win in any way I could. Still, I need to improve overall.”
One reason Izzo trusted Richardson even during his rough outing was the positive attitude and body language he displayed. Richardson emphasized the importance of staying engaged and anticipating his chance to shine.
“I think it’s about not giving up on the game because I could have just mentally checked out and sulked,” Richardson noted. “But we had a game to win, so I approached it with as much intensity as I could to support my team.”
As demonstrated on Sunday night, true leaders, team players, and elite talent like Richardson are not mentally weak. Despite a difficult first 25 minutes, he remained confident and eager for another opportunity to make an impact.
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