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2021 4-star point guard Jaden Akins commits to Michigan State

August 13, 2020
<p>Head basketball coach Tom Izzo speaks at the introductory press conference for new head football coach Mel Tucker at the Breslin Student Events Center on Feb. 12, 2020.</p>

Head basketball coach Tom Izzo speaks at the introductory press conference for new head football coach Mel Tucker at the Breslin Student Events Center on Feb. 12, 2020.

Photo by Matt Zubik | The State News

Michigan State basketball’s recruiting streak continues with 2021 four-star point guard Jaden Akins committing to the Spartans over Michigan, Florida, DePaul, and Mississippi State. Akins, according to 247Sports, is the second-highest rated player in the state of Michigan, trailing only Pierre Brooks, who is also an MSU commit.

"I appreciate all the schools and coaches who took the time to recruit and believe in me during this process, but in the end there can only be one," Akins said in a Twitter commitment video. "With that being said, I would like to announce that in the fall of 2021, I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at Michigan State University.

Akins will fill a crucial role in the backcourt in the future as MSU will try to fill the shoes of Cassius Winston. The four-star recruit from Farmington, Michigan, will join AJ Hoggard, Rocket Watts, Jack Hoiberg and Foster Loyer at the point guard spot if all five decide to remain in East Lansing.

Akins commitment will officially put the Spartans two scholarships above the limit in 2021 with Max Christie, Hoiberg and Brooks taking new scholarships for the school year. If highly touted 2022 commits Emoni Bates and Enoch Boakye decide to reclassify to 2021, then they will be four scholarships over the limit. In the upcoming year, expect to see departures from the MSU program in the form of transfers, early entry to the NBA Draft, and possibly even decommitments from the upcoming recruiting class to make room.

The upcoming college basketball season is beginning to come under fire because of the pandemic as the Pac-12 conference voted to postpone all athletic activities through the calendar year, delaying the start of college basketball in the conference until Jan. 1, 2021. In the Big Ten’s announcement to postpone fall sports, the conference is postponing with the “possibility” of playing in the spring.

Regardless of the upcoming hoops season, the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons are looking incredibly bright for coach Tom Izzo and company.

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