Last year, Jaden Akins was poised for a big role with Michigan State basketball. While he had a solid season, it was clear that missing the offseason with a foot injury prevented him from feeling too comfortable on the court, despite finishing the season with excellent shooting numbers (42.2-percent from three) and averaging nearly 10 points and four rebounds per game.
Tom Izzo told Jon Rothstein that Akins is up 10 pounds from the end of last season, a sign that he is healthy and able to hit the weight room, and Izzo also told Rothstein that Akins could be a ‘Gary Harris type shooter’ for MSU this year.
Tom Izzo tells me that Michigan State's Jaden Akins has gained 10 pounds since the end of last season.
Izzo on Akins: "I think he can be a Gary Harris type shooter during the upcoming year."
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 25, 2023
With that extra muscle, Akins should be able to absorb much more contact on his electrifying drives to the rim, and it’s hard to see the shooting numbers going anywhere but up after a healthy offseason.
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