Bruins Must Limit These Three Michigan State Stars

The UCLA Bruins are preparing to face one of the top teams in the country that is looking to bounce back from its first loss in two months, which came last weekend against Bruins' bitter rival, USC. There are three key players the Bruins must limit in order to win.

Feb 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jaden Akins (3) plays on defense against the USC Trojans at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images | William Navarro-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (16-6, 7-4) are looking towards their toughest opponent of the season as they welcome the No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (18-3, 9-1) to Pauley Pavilion Tuesday night. There are three key Spartans that UCLA must limit if it wants to land its fifth ranked win of the year.

The Bruins are riding a five-game win streak, including two wins over ranked opponents, both a home. Their most recent victory was a 26-point drubbing of No. 16 Oregon last Thursday. This team is rested and ready to battle a Spartan team that just lost their first game in two months.

UCLA's bitter rival, USC, was the first team to upset the Spartans in conference this season by way of a 70-64 win last Saturday at the Galen Center. They seemingly had the recipe to defeat Tom Izzo's squad as the Bruins look to replicate the performance and keep multiple playmakers quiet.

The Spartans are led by senior guard Jaden Akins, who is averaging 13.5 points per game and is the only player on the team to average double-digit scoring numbers. He is searching for a bounce-back game after scoring 11 points on 5-12 shooting against the Trojans.

It is rare that the Spartans have a poor performance from Akins, but their chances of victory drop significantly if he does. Despite him being extremely consistent this season, the Bruins possess the No. 1 defense in the conference and will have the best chance to limit his success.

One standout freshman has impressed the nation so far this season as first-year guard Jase Richardson. The son of former NBA legend Jason Richardson, Jase is making a case for Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 9.6 points on 54.9% shooting with 2.1 assists per game.

An area that the Bruins must work to control will be in the trenches. Being able to control the rebound game and limit Spartans junior forward Jaxon Kohler will pay dividends for this team on Tuesday. Kohler averages a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game and will be the guy to keep off the glass.

Michigan State is arguably the best team the Bruins will face so far this season. UCLA must play efficient basketball to earn its fifth ranked win of the season. With an 11-1 home record at Pauley Pavilion, the Bruins will use a ruckus crowd to their advantage against the Big Ten's top team.

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