Michigan State's head coach Tom Izzo, left, smiles while talking with Jase Richardson during the game against Minnesota on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MSU's Future in Good Hands With Thriving Youth

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated Feb 23, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Michigan State Spartans have thrived this season. On the back of multiple winning streaks, breakout games for players and veteran coaching from Tom Izzo, MSU has been the program to beat in the Big Ten. But will it always be that way when players depart following the season?

From the looks of things, the Spartans will be in good hands going forward. Players such as Jase Richardson, Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr and Xavier Booker, to name a few, look to be the players to lead MSU to more success in the future, as they are already contributing in the present.

Richardson has emerged as a key player in the Spartans' rotation of players. Starting off the season coming off of the bench, his production as of late has been so hot that he gives Izzo no other choice but to make him a starting piece to MSU's puzzle.

While senior Jaden Akins still leads the way in average points per game for the Spartans, Richardson has climbed the charts rapidly, holding the second position in that statistic. What has separated Richardson from other players this season has been the success he has had from 3-point shooting.

Holding a success rate of 40%, Richardson has proved to be a threat within and beyond. Fears, on the other hand, has found his way to contribute for MSU other than successfully draining shots. In fact, Fears leads the program in average assists per game and even ranks third among the rest of the athletes in the Big Ten in that category.

Unselfish playing style is what helps make teams thrive, and now that Fears has learned that, he can add more to the future production. On top of Richardson's growth as a shooter and Fears' as a floor general, Booker also adds value to the future.

The sophomore forward is in his second season with MSU and has grown from what he was as a freshman. While he averages less than 6 points per game, Booker still has tremendous upside and could very well still become the NBA prospect he was expected to be going into the season.

As the Spartans conclude their season relatively soon, the younger players will still have their chances to learn and develop a winning mindset, and who better to learn from than the first-place team in the Big Ten standings.

This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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