Can Spartans Survive With Akins' Lack of Production?

The Michigan State Spartans' winning streak came to a close against the USC Trojans on Saturday. MSU scored just 64 points, which wasn't enough.
With the Spartans' leading scorer on the year, senior guard Jaden Akins, lacking in production as of late, it poses the question: Can MSU win without him?
Safe to say that the Spartans had been playing great basketball as of late, and even though they were handed a rare loss in a game they never led, they kept up with the Trojans all night. But they weren't able to do one of the crucial things they've excelled at all season -- finish.
Akins finished the game with 11 points, going 5-12 in field-goal attempts, had four rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes on the court. Over the span of MSU's win streak, Akins led the way in the scoring department four times.
Akins has averaged 13.6 points a game this season for the Spartans, and he is the only player of the squad that has averaged double digits in scoring on the year. But between Saturday's contest and the Spartans' three games prior, he has averaged just 10.25 points and 32% from the field.
However, MSU's bench remained strong and consistent. Coen Carr and Jase Richardson dropped 8 and 9 points, respectively, off the bench for the Spartans. The future could easily be in those two players' hands, especially since the program will be losing three seniors at his season's end, two of which are starters.
Among the starting five for the Spartans, three of the five finished with under 10 points scored on Saturday. Redshirt freshman Jeremy Fears Jr. finished the game with the most points (12) and time spent on the court (27 minutes). The loss is not the end of the world for MSU, but it does pose some concerns, seeing how its veterans struggled.
The Spartans' West Coast trip is not over yet, as they are set to face off against the UCLA Bruins on Tuesday. The few days' rest should benefit the Spartans, especially as they process what a loss feels like again.
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