In new role as go-to player, 'the sky's the limit' for Michigan State basketball's Jaden Akins

HOLT – The Moneyball Pro-Am is designed for a player with Jaden Akins’ talent.

The Michigan State sophomore showed off his skills Thursday at Holt High School, making his first three 3-point attempts. And in the second half, Akins added to his highlight reel with multiple dunks, including a windmill and later threw it off the backboard to himself for a thunderous slam.

“My first two games were iffy, so I wanted to give the fans a show tonight,” said Akins, who scored 30 points.

Akins hopes to give Spartan fans plenty of memorable moments in the 2022-23 season. And with the roster overhaul coach Tom Izzo has gone through, this has turned out to be a more important offseason for Akins than previously expected.

With Max Christie’s decision to leave for the NBA after one season and Gabe Brown deciding to forego his extra COVID year of eligibility and also declare for the draft, Akins' role for next year exponentially grew.

“With both Gabe and Max leaving for the NBA, I feel like I got a lot more responsibility this year and more opportunity,” Akins said. “I always have the same mindset – be confident in myself and be aggressive. I feel like it’s going to be on a whole new level next year."

Izzo had high praise for Akins earlier in the offseason, stating in a May interview with the State Journal that Akins will be better than Christie and can have a season similar to many players just selected in the NBA draft.

“It just means he believes in me and believes in my work and sees it,” Akins said. “I think the sky’s the limit for me. I’m never going to put a limit on myself. I’m very confident in myself and I put the work in to show it. I’m just ready for what happens.”

And he’s putting work in both on and off the court. The Farmington native has added 10 pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame, putting him at 190 pounds. He’s also getting to his spots quicker on the court and learning to become a more efficient player with his touches and off-the-ball work.

More specifically, he wants to emulate Christie's shooting form.

“He’s a really good shooter … and it looks the same every time,” Akins said. “Just really fundamental and textbook. I’ve been working on that a lot, the fundamentals of my shot and game. Making things simple.”

Last season, Akins — a four-star recruit out of high school — averaged 3.4 points per game, while playing 15 minutes per contest. Fellow sophomore Pierre Brooks, who’s also playing well at Moneyball this summer, is going through the same expectation jump. Brooks scored 45 points on Thursday night.

“I definitely think I’m a leader on the team and that’s why I can have a big sophomore jump this year from freshman to sophomore (season)," Akins said. "I’ve been learning a lot. Experience is the best teacher so I feel like I’m just well-rounded and well-fit for this season coming up.”

Akins’ backcourt mate, junior AJ Hoggard, sees the changes in Akins’ game that will potentially become vital to the Spartans’ success in 2022.

“I think Jaden’s been really focused,” Hoggard said. “He’s been in the gym working on his game a lot. And it showed (Thursday). He’s been a workaholic. He’s been working so hard to come back and show you guys what he’s been working on. I can’t wait (for everyone) to see it, because I see what he’s working on every day, so I’m just sitting back and watching it all unfold.”

Contact digital sports reporter Phil Friend at 517-377-1220 or pfriend@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Phil_Friend.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State basketball: 'The sky's the limit' for Jaden Akins