Jase Richardson has a March Madness legacy through his dad.
Jason Richardson helped Michigan State basketball win the NCAA men’s basketball national championship in 2000, the program’s second title and first since 1979 when Magic Johnson and Greg Kelser led the Spartans.
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Jason was a freshman on the 2000 Spartans under head coach Tom Izzo, then in his fifth season after 12 years as an assistant under mentor Jud Heathcote. He played in 37 games (three starts) as a key contributor behind the Flintstones.
MSU basketball commit Jase Richardson, center, poses with his mother, Jackie Paul, younger brother Jaxon and father, Jason Richardson, who starred at Michigan State from 1999-2001. Also pictured is MSU assistant coach Mark Montgomery, right.
Jason declared for the NBA after a consensus All-America sophomore season leading MSU to the Final Four, was the fifth overall pick in the 2001 draft by the Golden State Warriors and went onto to a very good NBA career over 13 playing seasons.
Jase, a freshman, has helped the 2-seed Spartans reach the Elite Eight in the South region where they matched up with 1-seed Auburn in Atlanta on Sunday for the right to go to the 2025 Final Four in San Antonio.
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Here’s what you need to know about Jase, whose full name is Jason Anthoney Richardson II, and his father Jason Richardson:
READ MORE: MSU prodigy Jase Richardson sees the game like a 10-year vet
Who is Jase Richardson’s dad?
Richardson is the son of Jason Richardson, a consensus second-team All-America as a sophomore at Michigan State in 2001 and the No. 5 overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft. Jason attends his son’s games in support of his alma mater.
Jason, one of the best dunkers in the world in his day, was the 1999 Michigan Mr. Basketball as a 6-foot-6 wing from Saginaw Arthur Hill.
He was a freshman on MSU’s 2000 national title team for Izzo’s lone title to date. Jason averaged 5.1 points per game in 15.7 minutes, and scored nine points off the bench in the championship win over Florida. Jason was a sophomore the next year when MSU made it back to the Final Four, averaging a team-leading 14.7 points.
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Jason, now 44, had a 13-year NBA career (he missed all of 2013-14), his final season coming in 2014-15 with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 17.1 points per game in 857 games (842 starts) with the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and 76ers. He announced his retirement in September, 2015 at age 34, after dealing with knee injuries in the latter half of his career.
He was the All-Star Weekend slam dunk champion in his first two years in the NBA, 2002 and 2003.
Jase’s mother, Jackie Paul, played basketball at the University of Colorado-Denver.
How old is Jase Richardson?
Richardson is 19 years old and will turn 20 on October 16. He was born in 2005.
Where is Jase Richardson from?
Michigan State freshman guard Jase Richardson hugs head coach Tom Izzo to celebrate the 71-63 win over New Mexico in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Sunday, March 23, 2025.
Richardson is originally from Denver. He graduated from Columbus High School in Miami, Florida.
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In high school, Richardson was a four-star recruit in the 2024 class. He averaged 16.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists for PG Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit during the summer of 2023, according to MSU.
Why did Jase Richardson go to Michigan State?
“I chose Michigan State because of the team and the coaching staff,” Richardson told the MSU athletic department. “I feel like I had a connection with everyone and from the start we built a great relationship.”
Jase Richardson height and weight
Richardson is a left-handed combo guard for the Spartans. His height is listed at 6 feet 3 with a weight of 185 pounds.
Jase Richardson stats
Richardson entered Sunday’s Elite Eight game with averages of 12.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 35 games (14 starts) over 25.1 minutes per game this season. He moved into MSU’s starting lineup in February.
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He poured in 20 points in the Sweet 16 win over Ole Miss, shooting 6-for-8 overall and 4-for-6 from 3. His monster first half kept MSU in the game, before it finally wrestled control late.
Richardson has been efficient shooting 51.2% overall, 42% from 3-point range (47-for-112) and 83.2% from the foul line (99-for-119) this season. He has 67 assists to 30 turnovers, 27 steals and 10 blocks.
Jase Richardson NBA mock draft projection
Richardson is among the top NBA prospects as a projected middle of the first round pick. USA TODAY projected him to go 16th overall entering the NCAA tournament. ESPN in mid-March had Richardson going No. 12 to the Miami Heat.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jase Richardson dad: Michigan State prodigy has March Madness legacy
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