Spartans' Akins Identifies What is Different About This Team

The Michigan State Spartans look a bit different this season in the best possible way. After a statement win over the Illinois Fighting Illini at home, senior guard Jaden Akins spoke about what makes this team different from years past.

Michigan State's Jaden Akins, center, celebrates after Illinois' last shot was no good during the second half on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 8 Michigan State Spartans (16-2, 7-0) are making a case for one of the top teams in college basketball this season after winning their 11th-straight game and seventh-consecutive in Big Ten play. This group is much different than what Spartan fans have seen over the past few seasons.

The Spartans took down the No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini (13-5, 5-3) on Sunday afternoon at home, remaining undefeated in conference play and becoming a top-10 team in the national rankings for the first time this season.

Following the win, fourth-year senior guard Jaden Akins spoke to the media in the locker room and was asked about what makes this team different from the previous years that he has been a part of the program. He credits the team's depth and copious number of playmakers among this bunch.

"We [are] just so together and how deep we are as a team," Akins said. "You see what Tre [Holloman] did today, he played amazing today. It's always feel like [it's] going to be somebody's day on our team. Somebody's going to have a good game on our team I feel like, so just for him to kind of pick me up today and pick the team up like that and then other people picking us up too, I feel like it's just different. We [are] so deep as a team."

The junior guard, Tre Holloman, led the team with 17 points, his second-highest scoring performance of the season. Akins only had 8, praising his fellow guard for backing him up when the senior may not have had his best game. That has been a common theme throughout the entire team this year.

Following their earlier win this season over the Ohio State Buckeyes, Coach Tom Izzo mentioned something that Akins said regarding the team and the fact that that type of game is one they lose in recent past years. The win over the Illini is a perfect example and shows why this team is different.

"I saw what Jaden said; there's no question we lose a game like this last year," Izzo said following the Buckeyes game. "For whatever reason, maybe maturity, maybe it's guys rallying together, maybe the coaches are doing a better job, maybe all the above. But for the most part, Jaden said it and I couldn't agree with him more.

Akins added to those comments after the game on Sunday, explaining in more depth how the Spartans are still able to gut out victories when they do not play their best ball. In year's past, they needed to play perfect to win. This year, they find whatever way to get the job and earn the "W."

"It says a lot, it just goes to show the type of resilience we have, and we've done it before this season when maybe shots not falling or something's not going right, but we still find a way to win," Akins said. "So, I feel like that's what the good teams do, is find a way to win when stuff isn't going right all the time. And when everything does go right, then it gets even scarier."

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