What is Jase Richardson's NBA Draft projection? Top prospect's stock rises in Sweet 16 win over Ole Miss

Jase Richardson, a combo guard from Michigan State, has been projected to go in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-3 offspring of former slam dunk champion Jason Richardson has made a name for himself with his reliable offensive production for the Spartans.

In recent weeks, the young Richardson has been projected to go as early as the no. 8 pick in some mock drafts, while others have him dropping to the middle of the first round.

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According to CBS Sports' Adam Finkelstein, Richardson would make a great selection for the Miami Heat, who could have the no. 8 pick:

"Miami is a really good fit given their needs on the perimeter and a chance to grow into Tyler Herro's running mate," Finkelstein wrote in his mock draft. "Richardson has exceeded all expectations this season with the overlap of his versatility and efficiency."

Meanwhile, Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo! Sports had Richardson going to Orlando at no. 15:

"The Magic rank 25th in 3-point attempts and 30th in 3-point percentage. This pick needs to be used on a shooter who can handle a little bit, which makes Richardson an ideal fit."

Thanks to his performance in this year's March Madness tournament, Richardson has boosted his stock in the NBA Draft. On Friday, he helped the Spartans carve out a 73-70 comeback victory over Ole Miss in the Sweet 16. The combo guard topscored for Michigan State with 20 points on 6-for-8 shooting (including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.

With his scoring contributions, Richardson has steered the Spartans to their first Elite Eight appearance since 2019.

Jase Richardson sends message to Elite Eight opponents: "We're ready"

After the final buzzer sounded on the Michigan State-Ole Miss game, Richardson and the rest of the Spartans gatecrashed Tracy Wolfson's interview with their head coach Tom Izzo, who was visibly in tears.

After Izzo said his piece, Wolfson turned to Richardson, who was crowded by his teammates. When asked about the team's mindset heading into the Elite Eight, the prolific freshman had a clear message:

"Whoever comes out, we're ready," a determined Richardson said. "We're ready to fight for 40 minutes, and we're ready to get into the Final Four."

As it turned out, top-seeded Auburn prevailed over no. 5 Michigan on the other side of the bracket. Richardson and the Spartans will thus square off against the Tigers on Sunday.