Michigan State basketball: Report card for blowout win at Ohio State

COLUMBUS, OH - FEBRUARY 12: Jaden Akins #3 of the Michigan State Spartans drives the ball past Sean McNeil #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half of the game at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on February 12, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. Michigan State defeated Ohio State 62-41. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

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Feb 12, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jaden Akins (3) drives into the lane as Ohio State Buckeyes guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (1) defends during the first half at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports /

Jaden Akins: B+

You might look at Jaden Akins’ shooting numbers and wonder why the heck he’s getting a B+ instead of somewhere around the B or B- range, but this is the perfect example of why box score watching is dangerous.

Sometimes numbers lie.

Akins was 0-for-6 from three but he made up for that poor shooting from deep (on a lot of open shots) with some really good, confident drives to the hoop. He was 4-for-5 from inside the arc and finished with eight points. It was nice to see him use his athleticism to get to the rim and he did so with ease. This is something he needs to do more often.

On top of his solid offensive game from inside the arc, Akins had a career-high nine rebounds and added a steal as well. He played really well on defense just like the rest of his teammates.

You can tell Akins is gaining confidence by the game.

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