What MSU Will Miss Most About Jaden Akins

Akins is one of several guards that Tom Izzo must replace, including Jase Richardson, who is off to the NBA Draft, and Tre Holloman, who entered the transfer portal and committed to North Carolina State. 

Replacing a guard with as much experience as Akins had for this MSU team will be difficult, but the one thing Izzo will miss most about Akins will be his defensive prowess. 

While he never won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award, Akins was one of the best defenders in the Big Ten in almost every season he played for the Spartans. 

Akins made the Big Ten All-Defensive Team last season after being one of the top defenders in the conference.

Whenever Izzo needed someone to slow down an opposing guard, he called on Akins, who rarely let a guard score on him consistently. His length and athletic movement allowed him to shut several opposing guards’ water off in important games. 

All three of the guards that Izzo is losing this offseason are plus defenders, but none more so than Akins. Who will Izzo turn to when he needs someone to slow down the best guards in the Big Ten next season? 

The likeliest answer is point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who is an excellent defender himself. Can someone like Kur Teng step up in Akins’ place and be a guard-stopper?

Will transfer guard Trey Fort offer the same level of defensive ability as Akins? Not likely, but his scoring ability should make up for that. 

Izzo teams are always excellent on the defensive side of the floor. 

He has some work to do to replace Akins and what he brought to the team in that regard, but he has replaced talented guards before.

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