Michigan State Basketball: 3 bold predictions for Big Ten/ACC Challenge vs. Louisville
By Nate Rhoades
Michigan State basketball is going to see a different side of some of their players in this game against Louisville. They will show how strong they can be.
Michigan State basketball is back in the Breslin Center for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Wednesday night. This is the 22nd year of the challenge which is the longest-running interconference challenge series in the sport.
The Spartans have taken on a ton of different opponents throughout the years but this year they drew Louisville.
They have played the Cardinals twice in the challenge with each team winning a game, making this the tie-breaker. The Spartans have played well this season and have played themselves into the top 25 coming in at No. 22 this week.
They will continue this strong push forward against the Cardinals and will do it in big fashion with these three bold predictions.
3. Jaden Akins will be the top scorer
Go big or go home. These are bold predictions so why not start off with a huge one. Jaden Akins is the ninth-best scorer on the team coming in averaging only 4.6 points per game. He is averaging only 14 minutes per game but he has shown that he can handle more time.
Akins had his breakout moment during the second half of the Battle 4 Atlantis title game against Baylor. He did not shy away from the big stage. He was, at times, the only one who was hustling out on the court.
The freshman guard finished the night with 12 points, only one point shy of the team’s leading scorer Gabe Brown who had 13. Akins was 6-for-9 shooting and was scoring in a variety of ways. He was putting the ball on the floor and taking it to the rim. He was able to pull up and hit a couple of jumpers. Akins has the ability to shoot the deep ball as well but did not get one of his two deep shots to fall against Baylor.
This will be a different story against Louisville. He will finish the day with a career-high 18 points going 2-for-3 from deep. This will just be the start for Akins in the green and white.