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The Michigan State Spartans have retained an impactful piece as guard Jaden Akins has decided to return to the program. He was one of the many players who declared for the 2023 NBA draft and decided to withdraw by Wednesday and return for the 2023-24 season.
This will be a very interesting aspect as A.J. Hoggard is doing the same thing as the Spartans announced on social media. But what does this mean for Michigan State for the upcoming season? Let's dive a bit in order to figure it out.
How good is Jaden Akins?
Jaden Akins is returning for his third season with the Michigan State Spartans. He took a massive step forward last season as he joined the starting lineup for 25 of his 30 games played. Akins finished with 9.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.4 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game. He shot an incredible 42.2% from beyond the arc.
Jaden Akins played in three NCAA Tournament games last season as well and did a little bit of everything. He averaged 11 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.7 spg and 1.0 bpg. The only issue is the that Akins shot 33.3% from 3-point range, but was able to knock down 53.3% from 2-point range. He can play very well on both sides of the court.
How will the Michigan State Spartans look next season?
The Michigan State Spartans were a very good program last season but were unranked as the season ended. They ended up 21-13 (11-8 Big Ten), finishing 3.5 games behind the Purdue Boilermakers for the Big Ten regular season championship.
The program has not acquired a single player in the NCAA transfer portal and lost one player in junior forward Julius Marble.
The Spartans defeated the USC Trojans and the Marquette Golden Eagles during March Madness but lost to the Kansas State Wildcats in the Sweet 16.
This team has a lot to prove in a loaded Big Ten, but it should be able to contend. The Spartans averaged 70.2 ppg while shooting 45.0%, including 39.5% from the 3-point line. If they can figure out how to improve on the defensive end as their veteran backcourt returns, they can be a scary team to match up against.
