Stop me if you've heard this one before, but Michigan State basketball is your Big Ten champion. OK, so you've heard it about 11 times in the past 30 years, but what about this phrase: Michigan State has one of the best defenses in the country.
Oh, you've heard that plenty, too? Tom Izzo's calling card over the years has been defense, rebounding, and running. And he has one guy who does all of those well and his name is Jaden Akins.
The senior guard may not be having the best season offensively, but he's been defending at an elite level and he's a major reason for the turnaround this year.
Akins has been playing so well defensively, in fact, that Big Ten analyst Rapheal Davis believes that he deserves the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award.
Do you agree with @RaphealDavis3 in the DPOY discussion⁉️👀#B1GMBBall x @MSU_Basketball pic.twitter.com/uF5fVMHraf
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 6, 2025
It's hard to disagree with Davis as Akins has locked down opposing teams' best players regularly and he's the team's leader by both example and vocally.
Akins is partially responsible for Michigan State having one of the best 3-point defenses in the country and best in the Big Ten and while he only averages 0.8 steals per game, he's active on the defensive end, forcing plenty of turnovers and ill-advised shots. He gets the job done and doesn't need to fill up the stat sheet to make his presence felt.
Michigan State fans agree that he's been one of the best players on the team this season despite his shooting numbers dipping. He's more than made up for it on the defensive end.
Is it time to crown Akins? Davis thinks so.