Michigan State Could Lean Heavily on Its Youth This Season
The Michigan State Spartans are 1-0 in the young college basketball season, and they have an exciting non-conference schedule on the horizon.
Tom Izzo’s Spartans will look vastly different this season, as several experienced contributors from last year’s team have departed. Izzo expects new players to step into bigger roles to help the team win.
While there may be some growing pains with so many new pieces early on, this roster's young, unproven talent is intriguing. Izzo’s last few recruiting classes feature elite talent ready to leave its mark in East Lansing.
Spartan fans got a glimpse of that young talent on Monday night in Michigan State's win over the Monmouth Hawks. While senior Jaden Akins was the leading scorer on the evening, behind him was freshman Jase Richardson.
The son of former Spartan and NBA great Jason Richardson, Jase did not look like a freshman in his 22 minutes on the court. Richardson scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, along with two rebounds, four assists, and a steal.
Richardson was a high four-star recruit coming out of Miami, Florida, choosing the Spartans over Alabama, Cincinnati, and others. He is a crafty combo guard who plays with composure and conviction on the court, and that showed.
Junior guard Tre Holloman struggled with foul trouble, so Izzo relied on Richardson to fill his minutes as the backup point guard. The moment did not look too big for him, putting together solid drives to the basket and creating his own offense.
Will Michigan State be able to rely on Richardson throughout his freshman season? If he keeps playing like that, there is reason to believe it can.
While he played just 4 minutes, Izzo has raved about freshman Kur Teng. The high four-star out of Haverhill, Massachusetts, also has a chance to be a bigger part of the rotation due to the Spartans’ lack of wing depth.
Teng is also a player who does not look like a typical freshman. He scored 5 points when the game was already secured, but oftentimes, freshmen look sped up in their first games. Teng and Richardson did not.
The maturity these freshmen play with is something Izzo can rely on moving forward. It will be exciting to see how they grow and develop when the arduous part of the season rolls around.
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