Jase Richardson has stepped out of his father’s shadow for Big Ten champion Michigan State

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jase Richardson was known as Jason Richardson’s son when he arrived at Michigan State last fall, following the footsteps of his father who played for the Spartans and in the NBA.

The freshman guard has stepped out of his father’s shadow as a calm, consistent and efficient player for the Big Ten champions.

“It’s super rewarding for me,” Jase Richardson told The Associated Press in an interview. “I had to come here and forge my own path because a lot of people are going to try to equate everything I do to my dad.

“I had to come in here, work hard, stay disciplined and show people what I could do.”

Mission accomplished.

Richardson has been perhaps the best player for the surprising Spartans, who were unranked for the first month of the season and are surging into this week’s Big Ten Tournament as the top-seeded team in the conference and ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25.

On Monday, he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the third straight week.

The Big Ten will announce its awards on Tuesday and Richardson will get at least one vote for the All-Big Ten team — from TV analyst and former Purdue star Robbie Hummel.