Spartan Avenue
Fansided

5 offseason tasks that’ll make Michigan State basketball 2022-23 national title contender

By Connor Muldowney

Michigan State forward Joey Hauser (10) talks to forward Malik Hall (25) during the second half of Michigan State's 74-73 victory over Davidson in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. on Friday, March 18, 2022.
Michigan State forward Joey Hauser (10) talks to forward Malik Hall (25) during the second half of Michigan State's 74-73 victory over Davidson in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. on Friday, March 18, 2022. /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Mar 18, 2022; Greenville, SC, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jaden Akins (3) shoots the ball against the Davidson Wildcats during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2022; Greenville, SC, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jaden Akins (3) shoots the ball against the Davidson Wildcats during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Jaden Akins, Pierre Brooks both take that next step

Anyone who watched Jaden Akins this season knows that he has elite potential and he will soon be a fan favorite in East Lansing. The same could be said for Pierre Brooks, but we didn’t see much of him.

Akins is an athletic combo guard who showed that he could handle the ball and he could also hunt for his own shot. He scored off the dribble from the mid-range on numerous occasions and he was a threat from distance. He finished the season shooting 39 percent from the floor and 38 percent from deep while averaging 3.4 points per game. If he takes that next step and doubles his production, he could lift this lineup drastically.

Brooks, a fellow freshman this past season, only played in 25 games and averaged just 3.7 minutes, but he showed confidence. He didn’t put up very good numbers but he wasn’t afraid to shoot and he has the ability to score from anywhere.

If both of these guys take that next step and become valuable bench contributors, the Spartans are going to be deep and have plenty of scoring options — the quality that a title contender needs.

Home/Spartans Basketball