Michigan State Star Showed Sign of Potential Improvement in Crucial Aspect of His Game
The Michigan State Spartans just won their ninth straight game with a victory over the Northwestern Wildcats on Sunday, so it's hard to find anything to complain about in East Lansing right now.
Tom Izzo's club is rolling, and it is beginning to look like a genuine threat with the NCAA Tournament just two months away.
A big reason for Michigan State's surge has been the play of senior guard Jaden Akins, who logged 14 points and five steals in the win over Northwestern and is averaging 14.1 points per game on the season overall.
While Akins has been the Spartans' leading scorer this season, there is one area in which he has been struggling: 3-point efficiency.
Perimeter shooting has been an integral issue for the Spartans all year, as they are making just 28.9 percent of their long-distance tries thus far, which places them at 348th in the country.
One of the biggest culprits for the 3-point woes has been Akins, who is connecting on just 29.1 percent of his long-range attempts during the 2024-25 campaign.
It's been a rather strange run for Akins, who is a lifetime 36.6 percent shooter from deep. As a matter of fact, during his sophomore season, the Farmington, Michigan native drained 42.2 percent of his triples.
It's hard to say why Akins has been on a decline in that department this year, and when it comes to shooting, much of it is mental. Or perhaps there is some sort of mechanical issues that Akins needs to repair.
On Sunday, though, Akins showed improvement from beyond the arc, making two of his three attempts from range. In order for the Spartans to start finding success from 3-point land, Akins' efficiency from deep is going to be key, and it seems he might be on his way to possibly getting back to the success he had previously had in that area throughout his collegiate career.
While the 21-year-old is shooting a career-high 45.1 percent from the floor overall, his inability to consistently bury treys is harming his efficiency as a whole.
Luckily, Akins has been nailing his free throws (88.6 percent) to mitigate his struggles from downtown, but make no mistake: his success from beyond the arc on Sunday is something Akins absolutely needs to build on if the Spartans want to make a serious run in March.
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