Wolverine Digest

Recruiting: Michigan basketball heavily pursuing son of MSU legend, Top 30 prospect

The Wolverines are one of the early favorites in the battle for this elite, four-star prospect...

Matt Lounsberry

Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena.
Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
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Dusty May and Michigan men's basketball continue to target some of the top high school talent in the country, including prospects who have ties to one of the Wolverines' biggest rivals.

Jaxon Richardson, the son of Michigan State legend Jason Richardson and younger brother to current Spartan guard Jase Richardson, is one such target for the Maize and Blue. According to a report from On3's Joe Tipton, Michigan is one of six schools that Jaxon is hearing from the most in his recruitment. The others include USC, Seton Hall, Alabama, Louisville and Cincinnati.

RELATED: Michigan basketball battling for five-star, Top 10 prospect in 2026 class

According to On3's Prediction Machine, Alabama (38.9% liklihood) and Michigan (34.1%) are the early favorites to land Richardson.

“They have a nice play style," Richardson told On3 about the Wolverines. "They just play together and they play as a team. I feel like I could fit into what they do because I’m a team player. So just being able to make the extra pass or get the extra rebound, I feel like I could really help with that.

“Coach May texts me a lot. I love coach May and we have a good relationship and feel like we can really grow.”

According to On3's Industry Ranking, Richardson is considered a four-star prospect, ranked No. 27 nationally, the No. 11 small forward and No. 5 player in the state of Florida for the 2026 recruiting class. He has not yet narrowed his list of suitors into a top group, and has also received offers from UCF, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma State, Maryland and others.

“I’m going to be looking for a school that I trust will develop me and a program I know I can help out, play in the right system," Richardson told On3. "I’m most comfortable in a system that moves the ball and just, you know, plays the right way. I want to go somewhere I can just, like, hop into the system and won’t have to really learn anything new.”

Michigan men's basketball an early favorite for four-star SF Jaxon Richardson, son of MSU Spartans legend Jason Richardson
Michigan State's Jase Richardson, left, talks with head coach Tom Izzo during a break in the action in the game against Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Curiously, Michigan State has not offered Jaxon a scholarship. His older brother, Jase, is averaging 9.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game in his freshman season for the Spartans. It will be interesting to see if Tom Izzo and MSU enter the race for Jaxon as the 2026 cycle continues.

No. 21 Michigan (14-4, 6-1 Big Ten) returns to action on Friday (Jan. 24) when they travel to West Lafayette to battle No. 11 Purdue (15-5, 7-2) in a matchup between the current second and third-placce teams in the Big Ten standings (8 p.m. / FOX).

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Matt Lounsberry
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