Michigan State's Jaden Akins Sends Parting Message After NCAA Tournament
Michigan State made a nice run through the men's NCAA Tournament this year, and it got all the way to the Elite Eight, where it lost to Auburn by a final score of 70-64.
It was an ugly and frustrating loss for the Spartans, as they shot just 34.4% from the field and scored a paltry 24 points in the first half.
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Guard Jaden Akins averaged 12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.8 steals a game this season for the Spartans, and he's expected to move on, possibly to the NBA draft. The senior posted a parting message on his Instagram account after spending all four seasons of his college career at Michigan State.
"Thankyou," Akins posted on Instagram.
Akins, who is 6-foot-4, isn't an efficient scorer, as he made just 39.4% of his shot attempts this season and has a 40.6% overall field-goal accuracy for his college career. But he's a potent 3-point shooter, and he went 38% from downtown this season, as well as 42.2% from that distance during the 2023-24 campaign.
Michigan State's Jaden Akins scores against Niagara during the first half on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.© Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
He was named to the All-Big Ten team and the Big Ten All-Defense team this season. If he ends up on an NBA team, he may be able to find a niche as a 3-and-D player off the bench.
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He seemed to make a nice impression on Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo over the years. Izzo has called him the team's hardest worker, not just on the court but also academically, over the past two seasons.
Related: Top Transfer Portal Player Has Clear Message for Arkansas' John Calipari
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