Tre Holloman and Jase Richardson are about to share a backcourt again, only this time the setting is the NBA Summer League with the Orlando Magic.
Richardson was already headed there as a second-year player and former first-round pick out of Michigan State, but the addition of Holloman gives the reunion a little extra juice for Spartan fans. The Magic signed Holloman shortly after the 2026 NBA Draft, setting up a familiar pairing from Michigan State’s 2024-25 run.
Their lone season together in East Lansing was a good one. Richardson and Holloman helped Michigan State win a Big Ten title, finish three games clear in the conference, and reach the Elite Eight.
They were key pieces in the backcourt and became favorites with the fan base along the way. The run ended with Auburn, and Holloman was left apologizing to his teammates in a tearful locker room after the loss.
Richardson’s path was the cleaner one. He went from a top-50 four-star recruit to a first-round NBA draft pick.
Holloman, meanwhile, put together a breakout year of his own, averaging 9.1 points and 3.7 assists in a little more than 23 minutes per game. He also had a pair of moments that made him hard to ignore in East Lansing: the midcourt incident against Michigan on Senior Day and the half-court buzzer-beater against Maryland.
Then came the move that changed everything. Holloman entered the transfer portal soon after the 2024-25 season and landed at NC State, where he was promised a bigger role under Will Wade.
The numbers barely moved. His minutes ticked up by two per game, but his scoring stayed almost the same at 9.2 points per game.
It’s hard not to wonder what another season at Michigan State might have looked like, especially with Richardson and Jaden Akins gone to the NBA. But that chapter never got written.
Now Holloman and Richardson get one more shot to play together, and Michigan State fans will be watching closely.
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Milivojevics development now looms as one of the most important storylines in East Lansing, because the Spartans do not just need competent quarterback play, they need a player who can help define what comes next. There is still plenty he has to prove, and the schedule will keep asking questions, but the early signs are enough to make him a central figure in any conversation about Michigan States future and whether a real turnaround can take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Lands A Thanksgiving Showcase With A Familiar Twist
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The matchup also brings back a familiar coaching wrinkle, with Tom Izzo again crossing paths with John Calipari in a game that should carry plenty of attention beyond the holiday setting. Michigan State beat Arkansas 69-66 last season, and the Spartans now get another chance to test themselves against a program that has already provided a tight November measuring stick. [Read more 🡒]