Michigan State basketball: Report card for huge win over No. 23 Rutgers

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Michigan State’s Jaden Akins celebrates his 3-pointer against Rutgers during the second half on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.230119 Msu Rutgers Bball 164a /

Jaden Akins: B+

Jaden Akins had Cam Spencer seeing ghosts on Thursday night. The sophomore guard played some of his best defense of the season as Spencer was in a torture chamber all night long, finishing just 3-for-14 from the floor and 1-for-8 from deep. If he defends like this on a regular basis, Michigan State is going to be tough to beat.

Akins was a stat sheet stuffer supreme on Thursday night, finishing with four assists, four steals, and a block to go along with five rebounds and 11 points.

It wasn’t the best shooting night for him which is why I’m giving him a B+ instead of the A that would have come if he had hit a couple more of his open looks, but this was one of the best overall games he’s played all season long and a potential sign of things to come. He was just 4-for-12 from the floor and he got a ton of good looks.

Akins has true star potential and I think it’s just a matter of when, not if, that he breaks out and becomes a Spartan great.

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