Watch: Michigan State's Jaden Akins Speaks After Loss to Auburn

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Mar 31, 2025 1:50 AM ET

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Michigan State senior guard Jaden Akins played his final game in a Spartan uniform on Sunday when he and his team were bested by the No. 1 overall seed Auburn in the Elite Eight.

Akins went into the season tasked with a hefty responsibility to lead a program that was desperately in need of finding a resurgence, and to say the least, he effectively did so.

The senior finished his collegiate career with a 15-point outing on Sunday, drilling three 3-pointers in the final minutes as he valiantly tried to will his team to a late comeback.

Akins addressed the media after the loss. You can watch some of his availability below:

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo spoke to reporters from the podium. Below is a transcript of his opening statement:

Izzo: “For the 30th year, I'm not sure I've ever been prouder of a team. There's so much coach-speak and things that go on in programs all over, but these guys gave me everything they had. I drained them of everything.

“They should take a week off. There's nothing left in them. That's kind of the way it was in the locker room. It was a tear-jerking locker room because they knew they spilled it all, and yet we thought we started out poorly, which we've had that little bit of a problem lately.

"We just couldn't recover from that 17-0 run. It wasn't through lack of effort. It wasn't through lack of anything except we played a good team.

“[Johni] Broome hurt us early. We made some adjustments, did a little better job on him after he hit those first, I think, 6 or 8 points. I thought we missed some good shots in there, but maybe some of it was their defense too.

“All in all, you don't get defined -- unfortunately, your last game wears with you. I'm asking these guys that, if it does, make sure that you do something about it in your life. For Jaden, he's not done playing basketball either.

“All in all, the most unbelievable year I've had, the most connected year I've had. I just appreciate what these guys did for myself, our program, our university, and our community.”

You can follow along with all our Spartans coverage when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE and join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: