Michigan State guard Jaden Akins has support of Tom Izzo with NBA Draft entry
Michigan State guard Jaden Akins announced on Friday that he is entering the NBA Draft, while retaining his college eligibility. Akins’ announcement comes days before the deadline for college underclassmen to declare for the NBA Draft.
Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo fully supports Akins’ decision to explore his NBA opportunity.
“Jaden Akins has grown immensely in two short years, and has worked hard to put himself in this position,” Izzo said in a statement released on Friday afternoon. “It’s no secret that he has dreams of playing in the NBA, and so in our discussions after the end of the season, we’ve discussed him entering his name in the draft. I’ve been gathering information for him already, and we will continue to support him however possible.
“If after the process, he’s in a position to be drafted in a spot that’s best for him, we will celebrate his accomplishment. And if he decides that returning is best for his long-term career, we will immediately get to work for next season. We will take the information he gathers and use it to his advantage as he continues to develop. I’ve been incredibly pleased by what Jaden has done already, but I’ve got much larger goals for him. And I know there’s much more he’d like to accomplish as well.”
Under current NCAA rules, players can enter the NBA Draft and retain college eligibility if the opt to withdraw from the draft. By declaring for the NBA Draft, Akins will have an opportunity to participate in the scouting events and to receive feedback from NBA front office personnel.
Should he decide to return to Michigan State, Akins will need withdraw from the NBA Draft by 11:59 pm on May 31.
Akins’ decision to enter the draft will not have caught Izzo or his coaching staff by surprise. During his season-ending press conference earlier this month, Izzo hinted that some players on his team could test the NBA waters.
“With Tyson (Walker) coming back and Malik (Hall) coming back, we’ve got something to celebrate,” Izzo said. “This day and age, you don’t know who is coming back. There will be a bunch of guys that put their names into the draft. I don’t know if I will have some, but probably. That is the popular thing to do now. But I think in general that we should have a pretty solid group coming back, with a great group of recruits coming in. When you put those two things together, a lot of optimism for next season.”
The decision to declare for the draft does not mean that Akins will forego his remaining eligibility at Michigan State.
At 6-foot-4, 190, Akins is the best all-around athlete on the Michigan State roster at the guard position. As a sophomore, he overcame a foot injury to have a breakout season for the Spartans, who finished fourth in the Big Ten and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament for the 15th time in Izzo’s Hall of Fame career.
Akins played a critical role in Michigan State’s success on a team that was powered by guard play. Beyond anchoring the Spartans’ backcourt defense with Tyson Walker, Akins emerged as a productive scoring threat last season.
Akins averaged 9.8 points and four rebounds per game as a starting wing for the Spartans. He ranked second on the team in 3-point field goal percentage (42 percent) and third in made threes (49) behind senior Joey Hauser (77) and Walker (59). Akins started 25 of the 30 games he played as a sophomore, while playing 27 minutes per game for the Spartans.
The 2023 NBA Draft will take place in New York City on June 22 at The Barclays Center, which is home the Brooklyn Nets.
