MSU Stars' Goals For Season Signal Something Special?

Michigan State basketball has had it rough the past few seasons. Two stars think that is changing. Is there something special brewing in East Lansing?

Michigan State guard Jaden Akins (3) makes a jump shot against North Carolina guard Paxson Wojcik (8) during the first half of the NCAA tournament West Region second round at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday, March 23, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Last season, the Michigan State Spartans finished 20-15, marking a trend over the last four seasons in which Tom Izzo's squads failed to get more than 23 wins and higher than a No. 7 seed in a tournament (they were as low as No. 11 in 2021).

However, the tide could be turning for the Spartans.

A fruitful 2023 recruiting class, one of Izzo's best, landed three Top 50 prospects (Xavier Booker, Jeremy Fears Jr., and Coen Carr) that will contribute heavily to a team that is already deep and talented.

"[Booker] has gone from 217 [pounds] to 240 and it's all good weight. He's gotten stronger," Izzo said at a Big Ten Basketball Media Days roundtable. "I think he's a player that has got tremendous skills and tremendous measurements, but you still gotta play the game. I think in Coen Carr, he's one of the best athletes in the country, but you know, you've got to become better offensively, which I think he is, and better defensively I think he's become."

Izzo landed two transfers this offseason that he is high on, too.

For senior guard Jaden Akins and star sophomore Booker, the invdividual achievements can wait this season. They want to win.

"That’s kind’ve been the coaches’ biggest point of emphasis," Booker said. "Just win more games than we did the past few years, I mean I think we had an O.K. year last year but we could have definitely had a better year. We’re not just gonna like deflect over that year but kind of learn from the things we did bad last year and moving forward and improving on things."

Akins said that as a senior, it's about "winning games at this point."

"I wanna end my senior year with some hardware," he said. "And just getting better in every statistical category for me when it comes to rebounding, points, assists, everything. Just showing the growth from my junior to senior year. But mainly just winning games. That’s all I want to do. "

The Spartans haven't won the Big Ten tournament since 2019 and an outright title since 2020. Izzo still wants to get national title No. 2 before his time is done in East Lansing.

Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.

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