Richardson didn’t find a spot in the starting lineup until early February, the same night he dropped a season-high 29 points, and five rebounds, in MSU’s comeback win over Oregon. Since that game, he has scored in double digits every game. He helped drive MSU past an intense, undefeated three-week schedule against top-25 teams like Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue and Maryland, and helped the Spartans to one victory and a tight loss in the Big Ten Tournament.  

In the past nine games, MSU head coach Tom Izzo noted the high stakes and pressure to win, but said the Spartans rallied together.

Players have embraced their roles, something Izzo wasn’t sure would happen early in the season.

Jaden Akins has been a natural leader as the only four-year Spartan, while Jeremy Fears Jr. and Tre Holloman have stepped up as key playmakers. Amid a deep roster where nine different players have led the team in scoring, Richardson’s consistency has stood out. No player on MSU averages more than 27 minutes per game, yet Richardson has found ways to impact every contest.

MSU is hungry for more, but so are 63 other teams in the NCAA Tournament. Izzo initially worried that newcomers like Richardson wouldn’t understand the difference between regular-season games and the NCAA Tournament. But Richardson already knew.

"Winning is important to him," Izzo said. "We realized we’re all in this together."

Richardson’s impact extends to both ends of the court with efficient play — sharp passing, strong defense and reliable rebounding. He "doesn’t waste shots" or movement, always knowing when and where to be. Izzo even compared his demeanor to former MSU star Cassius Winston, praising his mix of confidence and humility. "He’s cocky enough to be great and humble enough to be a regular," Izzo said, noting that Richardson’s poise could make him a leader in the tournament.

"He’s a different kid. He’s not outwardly boisterous," Izzo said. "He’s got a calm confidence about him. Cassius (Winston) had some of those qualities, but Jase has even more of them without being boisterous about it."

Richardson’s composure and style have fueled MSU’s success this season, but he’s ready to play "more aggressively" on both ends if it means leading the Spartans deeper into March.

His quiet, tame behavior is a byproduct of his confidence: even as a freshman, he’s been able to navigate the court in such a way that makes him seem like a senior. In what seemed like every game, Richardson streaks down the lane, pulls off a step-back, maneuvers around defenders, or forces a bad possession for the opponents. 

"I always try to come in with the utmost confidence," Richardson said. 

Confidence from Richardson might be one of the benefactors for MSU’s play this postseason. It’s what he’s done all year, but he understands the stark difference between then and now — Big Ten regular season games and win or go home. 

"I feel like we got to come into this tournament (knowing) that we can win this thing, we can play with anyone in the country," Richardson said. "We have to trust the work that we’ve done all season. I feel like the work we put in set us up for moments like this. So we have to come in and trust ourselves."

No. 2 MSU will face No. 15 Bryant at 10 p.m. on Friday, March 21, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The game will air on TBS.