Michigan State Basketball: Kyle Ahrens is heartbreaking case of “what if”
Kyle Ahrens has suffered a setback in his overall body breakdown as he becomes Michigan State basketball’s latest case of ‘what if’.
Injuries plagued Kyle Ahrens since year one at Michigan State. They’ve continued over the course of his career.
On Tuesday afternoon, Tom Izzo announced that the senior guard will no longer be day-to-day, but will likely sit out a few weeks as he gets his body rested enough for the second half of Big Ten play. It was a decision that Ahrens probably didn’t like, but he understood.
Izzo says "Kyle Ahrens will be out for a while" and is no longer day to day. "It was a decision made by me. I just think he's broken down. It's been really hard on him during the games."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) January 14, 2020
Ahrens’ body has broken down on him and he knows he’s in the final months of his athletic career after ankle, foot and back injuries have turned his once-promising Spartan career into one of “what if” statements.
When Ahrens committed to Michigan State, he told reporters that Izzo was ecstatic over the news and could hardly contain himself. The Hall of Fame head coach may have landed a three-star recruit who was just No. 166 in the 2015 class, but he had the make of a typical Izzo guy. He was also athletic and potentially one of the hidden gems of the class.
Ahrens could shoot, he could drive and he could defend. His plus athleticism was just icing on the cake. Izzo got a massive steal out of Ohio and a kid who could be the missing piece to a second national title run.
However, injuries have derailed the promising career and he knows that it’s coming to an end with each passing week. He has openly admitted that he’s not the player he once was and can no longer make the athletic plays he used to.
What if he remained healthy in 2017-18 for a loaded Michigan State team? What if he fully recovered before this senior season and was able to contribute 15-20 minutes per game? What if his athleticism was still elite and he could still shoot the rock, too?
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Like Delvon Roe, Ahrens will retire from basketball far too soon and injuries have made him the latest case of “what if” in East Lansing.