Now that the NBA Combine has come and passed, some of the nation's top prospects are still weighing options and seeing if they should stay in the draft or pull out -- they still have a little over a week to decide.
One of those guys needing to make a final decision is freshman phenom Jase Richardson, a former four-star and top-50 prospect in the 2024 class.
The Michigan State star was one of the best freshmen to ever play under Tom Izzo, and that includes his father, Jason Richardson, who was a two-and-done. The elder Richardson also won a national title with the Spartans in 2000 before getting drafted by Golden State after his sophomore season.
Jase is now weighing his options after declaring for the NBA draft back in April and partaking in the NBA Combine this past week.
It was a mostly great showing for Richardson at the Combine as he had one of the most impressive verticals (38 inches) and he showed some really good form and efficiency in the shooting drills. The only real negative was the fact that he only measured 6-foot-0.5 (2-3 inches shorter than he was listed on Michigan State's roster).
That height differential could actually play a major role in his draft stock which is why he might need to weigh his options. According to the latest mock drafts, his stock may have taken a slight hit.
While he's still in a good spot according to Bleacher Report (No. 16 to the Magic) and ESPN (No. 13 to the Hawks), he saw a slight dip on a couple of others.
CBS Sports: Down to No. 20 to the Miami Heat
NBADraft.net: Down to No. 26 to the Brooklyn Nets
These are two reputable draft projection sites and they both had Richardson higher in their mock drafts before the NBA Combine. While 20 isn't much of a drop (from the usual 8-16 range he's been listed at, No. 26 would be a shocker. That's a major drop.
There's going to be a lot of varying opinions and movement before the draft, but if he's not guaranteed a spot in that top-20 range, he may have something to consider.