While Michigan State basketball fans are celebrating yet another Big Ten Championship this season, a big reason for their success, especially over the last month, has been the emergence of freshman guard Jase Richardson. Spartan fans also feel nostalgic watching Jase and remembering how his father Jason Richardson was also a freshman on the 2000 National Championship team.
About a mile north of campus, a trio of sons of former MSU players are enjoying quite a bit of success on the hardwood as well. Two of those dads were on the 2000 title team as well.
The East Lansing High School boys basketball team advanced to the state semifinals with a 72-49 win Tuesday night over Ann Arbor Huron. It was a big breakthrough for the team, having lost in the quarterfinals each of the previous two seasons.
Cameron Hutson, Kelvin (KJ) Torbert Jr., and Kingston Thomas all draw lineage from former Michigan State basketball players, and are leading the Trojans (26-1) into the semifinals at the Breslin Center where their fathers all played.
Hutson, son of Andre Hutson (MSU 1997-2001), is a 6-foot-6 senior small forward who has signed on to play at St. Louis University next fall. Hutson is averaging just under 20 points per game, good for second on the team behind Torbert. He was the team’s leading scorer as a sophomore and junior. Despite being ranked as the No. 3 player in Michigan for the 2025 class by 247Sports, Hutson was not chosen as one of four finalists for the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award.
KJ Torbert, son of Kelvin Torbert (MSU 2001-2005), is a 6-foot-4 junior guard who currently holds seven Division 1 offers from mid-major programs, though more offers from bigger schools are almost certainly on the way. He will be considered one of the top candidates for Mr. Basketball next year, an honor his father won in 2001 at Flint Northwestern. There has never been a father-son combination to both win that honor in Michigan. KJ, who spent his freshman year at Okemos, is the leading scorer for the Trojans this year, scoring 20 points per night.
Kingston Thomas, son of David Thomas (MSU 1996-2001), is a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard with an early offer from Toledo. He contributes just under eight points per game, but will likely see more opportunities to score in the coming years as Hutson and Torbert move onto the next level.
All three had a major impact on the quarterfinal win, with Torbert leading the way, dropping 26 points. Hutson added 20 points and Thomas chipped in with nine.
This Friday, East Lansing will make the short trip south to campus and take on the defending Division 1 champions Orchard Lake St. Marys (20-6). These two teams squared off earlier this season, resulting in a 69-68 East Lansing victory. However, St. Mary’s was playing that game without Mr. Basketball winner Trey McKenney.
With McKenney back, the Eaglets will likely be considered a favorite to repeat. But the Trojans will be relying on the hometown feel to push them over the edge for a chance to play for a title Saturday afternoon.
