Happy NBA Draft Withdrawal Day to those of you who celebrate, but while there's a sliver of hope that Jase Richardson opts to return for his sophomore season, he's likely to remain in the draft.
While it's going to be tough to lose Richardson to the NBA after just one special season, it'll be fun to root him on at the next level. He's projected to be selected somewhere in the top 20, but his measurements at the NBA Combine may have hurt his stock slightly.
After watching him play for a whole season, however, it's clear that he has "future star" written all over him. Michigan State fans realized he was special in just one season but one man knew since he was just over a year old.
A funny story from former Suns front office member Amin Elhassan broke on SI.com earlier on Wednesday and he claimed he knew when Jase was just 18 months old that he'd be a star.
Jase was apparently windmilling dunks on a Fisher-Price hoop as an 18-month-old child and that's when Elhassan knew that he was going to be a star. He said that if he was Izzo, he would have offered Jase on the spot. That's how sure he was that Richardson was different.
Does that surprise you? It probably shouldn't as Jase has seemingly always had that knack for performing with a basketball in his hands. He's just a special player.
Richardson had everyone in awe all season long as he showcased his athleticism and high basketball IQ from the start of the season until the final buzzer in the Elite Eight. He was destined to make it to the league and this story just proves that.
Offering an 18-month-old on the spot is diabolical, though.