Jase Richardson could be the first in a wave of former Michigan State players' sons to come back to play for Tom Izzo. The son of Jason Richardson became a star in East Lansing right away and is now headed to the NBA draft as a one-and-done, but there could soon be others following his lead.
Izzo has been around long enough to be coaching his former players' sons and Richardson was the first to fit that description but there could be more on the way.
In fact, in the state of Michigan, there are two legitimate high-major prospects of former Michigan State stars who could opt to follow Richardson's footsteps and play for the same head coach that their fathers were taught by.
A list of some of the top in-state players to keep an eye on was posted by Dylan Terpstra on Wednesday and there were two familiar names near the top.
Some in-state players I think Michigan State needs to keep an eye on. Not necessarily the best guys, but some guys I like that are trending up and can be high major players. pic.twitter.com/Ti3XstTJ8e
— Dylan Terpstra (@dterp_13) June 11, 2025
Which names sounded familiar to you? Obviously Mateen Cleaves Jr. is a dead giveaway and it's clear that he should be someone who Michigan State should keep an eye on. The son of Spartan legend and national champion Mateen Cleaves is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound shooting guard in the 2028 class and it's still early but he doesn't have any offers yet.
That should change soon. He's at Orchard Lake St. Mary's (Kalin Lucas' former program) and he should be a top target in the coming classes. You know Izzo is going to reach out.
The next is KJ Torbert Jr., the son of former Michigan State star Kelvin Torbert who was one of the highest-rated commits in Izzo's tenure. KJ is in the 2026 class and hasn't been offered by the Spartans yet as a 6-foot-4, 190-pound small forward, but could be an option for the Hall of Famer.
The longer that Izzo sticks around, the more likely it is that he coaches some of his former players' sons. That could (again) happen sooner rather than later.
Oh, and Jaxon Richardson is an option, too, although it seems like Michigan State has taken a back seat in his recruitment as he wants to forge his own path.