WATCH: Jaden Akins finishes poster dunk, Michigan State bench erupts
Jaden Akins proved he could get it done on both ends of the court Friday night. The Michigan State sophomore brought down the Breslin Center with a huge poster dunk after a big steal — and his teammates reacted accordingly.
With Michigan State up nine points on Villanova, Akins stole the ball and took it all the way to the rim, where he threw down a monster dunk over a Wildcats defender. The crowd erupted afterward, and his teammates on the bench absolutely loved it.
Can you blame them?
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Akins has played a key role off the bench for Michigan State so far this year, averaging six points per game entering Friday’s matchup with Villanova.
Michigan State is looking for its third win of the season after a 2-1 start. The Spartans’ lone loss came at the hands of Gonzaga before they defeated Kentucky in a double overtime thriller Tuesday night in the Champions Classic.
Tom Izzo jokes about Kentucky’s veteran roster being ‘illegal’
It’s easier to joke about such things after a win — 86-77 in double overtime over Kentucky on Tuesday night for Michigan State — but Spartans head coach Tom Izzo was left impressed with the blend of age and talent that the Wildcats put on the floor. So much so that he had to point it out to Kentucky head coach John Calipari.
After the Spartans locked down the win, Izzo joked at his postgame press conference that it shouldn’t be allowed for Kentucky to have so many seniors. In the one-and-done era that Calipari himself ushered in, it’s been a rarity to see this experienced a Wildcats roster.
“I told John, it’s illegal to have that many seniors for Kentucky,” Izzo said after the game. “But I think that they’re going to mesh well together. They’re going to have some experience and those young guys are going to be really good.”