Jase Richardson shines as Michigan State tops Ole Miss, moves on to Elite Eight

In the immediate aftermath of Michigan State’s second-round win over New Mexico last weekend, head coach Tom Izzo was asked during his on-court interview for any thoughts about the forthcoming matchup with sixth-seeded Ole Miss in the Sweet 16. Izzo, who was previously unaware that the Rebels had beaten third-seeded Iowa State to advance to the South Regional, quickly harkened back to the 2019 Final Four and his matchup with Texas Tech, another team coached by Chris Beard, who is now the head man at Ole Miss. That night, the Red Raiders knocked off Michigan State, 61-51, to reach the national championship game. Beard’s group played ferocious defense to limit the Spartans to just 31.9% shooting and force them into 11 turnovers. The effort and intensity impressed Izzo and stayed with him, so much so that he told the sideline reporter he expected more of the same when Michigan State faced Ole Miss on Friday night for a berth in the Elite Eight.

Once the game finally arrived, the pendulum of toughness — both mental and physical — swung toward Beard’s new team for most of the opening half. It was Ole Miss that harnessed the feistiness to retrieve loose balls and fight for position. It was Ole Miss that unsettled the Spartans with air-tight defense and forced them to commit seven early turnovers. It was Ole Miss that finished plus-1 on the glass, including five offensive rebounds that led to seven second-chance points, despite entering the game as one of the worst rebounding teams in the country. The Rebels were beating Michigan State in the same way Izzo’s group has controlled plenty of opponents for the better part of three decades.

But the script was effectively rewritten over the final 3:34, at which point the Spartans’ perimeter shooters finally caught fire. Freshman phenom Jase Richardson, who finished with a team-high 20 points, hit a pair of 3-pointers. Veteran Jaden Akins splashed one home, too. Even Coen Carr, known mostly for his aerial prowess, joined the fun with a swish from the right wing. And just like that, Michigan State pulled within two at the break.

Slowly but surely, as the second half inched toward its thrilling conclusion, momentum began tilting more and more toward the Spartans. Izzo’s team erased an early deficit with an extended 14-2 run during which six different players scored — Carr, Richardson,…