Michigan State University Athletics
Perseverance, Toughness Guide Ahrens on Court
2/14/2019 12:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Jack Diehm
EAST LANSING, Mich. - It was a heartbreaking moment on the basketball court, in front of everyone, when Michigan State guard Kyle Ahrens re-injured his right foot during a practice in late October 2017.
The injury, a Jones fracture to the fifth metatarsal his right foot, devastatingly happened minutes into his first practice of the season. He was coming back from a stress fracture in his right foot during the summer, and was hopeful to rejoin the Spartans line-up.
But it was not to be. The serious Jones fracture took Ahrens out of his sophomore year, as he missed the entire 2017-18 season.
It's now a year later, and Ahrens is making another comeback. He is back in the rotation, showing his signature bounce-back character.             Â
"I ended up breaking it twice and had surgery twice," said Ahrens, who stands 6-foot-6, about his foot issues. "First injury happened in August, and I didn't return to 100 percent until the end of October. And then right when I came back, I broke it again."Â Â Â Â Â
The Jones fracture occurs in a small area of the fifth metatarsal, which is the bone that connects to the pinkie toe, on the outside of the foot. It is often a result of overuse and stress.
"The second injury was just like an initial, acute, catastrophic failure right there on the court in front of everybody," Michigan State athletic trainer Nick Richey said. "And it was a big emotional thing for him more so than the physical components."Â Â Â Â Â
Michigan State thrived last season, while Ahrens watched from the sidelines. The Spartans won 30 games and earned the Big Ten Regular Season title. For a competitor like Ahrens, it was tough watching as a spectator.
"You want to be out there with your brothers and just play every day," Ahrens said. "But our teammates are so great that they got me through it, they got me through the rough times and they were always there for me."
This season, Ahrens is making the most of his playing opportunities. He missed three games with a back sprain, but is averaging 19.8 minutes per game, has started eight times and plays a big role in the rotation.
"My number one goal is to stay healthy," Ahrens said. "As a team we want to win a national championship, that's always been the goal. Me and my roommates, (Matt) McQuaid and Connor (George), have been there since we were freshmen and we always talk about a national championship each and every day and that's what we want, and that's what we are striving for."Â Â Â Â Â
Ahrens needed months of constant rehab to get back to basketball. He is thankful for teammates and family members, encouraging him daily through the time it took to get back to the court.
"My mom and fiancée were sending me Bible quotes every day to get me through it," he said. "Every day in practice I would see McQuaid when I was conditioning and he was clapping his hands at me to just give me some energy every day."
Ahrens has his history with serious injuries, leading MSU Coach Tom Izzo to say he has "Muhammad Ali" level toughness.
At Versailles High School in Ohio, a broken left leg held Ahrens out for an entire year.
Regardless, Izzo knew that a bright future was ahead.    Â
"He comes from a farm country with great parents," Izzo said. "So, it's hard not to like anything, the only thing is that he's been cheated a little bit. You pray and hope for a guy like that because he's the guy that you really wish could be a star to be honest with you. You're hoping that he could be a star."
Ahrens is now a redshirt junior who completed his bachelor's degree in advertising in December and began work on a Master of Arts in education this semester. It's the constant perseverance that elevates Ahrens above the rest.
"There's all kinds of examples of guys like him that fail and never really get back after they fail a second time," Richey said. "Kyle is really strong from a faith standpoint and I think that has helped him. He was going to do everything under the sun to try and get back."
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EAST LANSING, Mich. - It was a heartbreaking moment on the basketball court, in front of everyone, when Michigan State guard Kyle Ahrens re-injured his right foot during a practice in late October 2017.
The injury, a Jones fracture to the fifth metatarsal his right foot, devastatingly happened minutes into his first practice of the season. He was coming back from a stress fracture in his right foot during the summer, and was hopeful to rejoin the Spartans line-up.
But it was not to be. The serious Jones fracture took Ahrens out of his sophomore year, as he missed the entire 2017-18 season.
It's now a year later, and Ahrens is making another comeback. He is back in the rotation, showing his signature bounce-back character.             Â
"I ended up breaking it twice and had surgery twice," said Ahrens, who stands 6-foot-6, about his foot issues. "First injury happened in August, and I didn't return to 100 percent until the end of October. And then right when I came back, I broke it again."Â Â Â Â Â
The Jones fracture occurs in a small area of the fifth metatarsal, which is the bone that connects to the pinkie toe, on the outside of the foot. It is often a result of overuse and stress.
"The second injury was just like an initial, acute, catastrophic failure right there on the court in front of everybody," Michigan State athletic trainer Nick Richey said. "And it was a big emotional thing for him more so than the physical components."Â Â Â Â Â
Michigan State thrived last season, while Ahrens watched from the sidelines. The Spartans won 30 games and earned the Big Ten Regular Season title. For a competitor like Ahrens, it was tough watching as a spectator.
"You want to be out there with your brothers and just play every day," Ahrens said. "But our teammates are so great that they got me through it, they got me through the rough times and they were always there for me."
This season, Ahrens is making the most of his playing opportunities. He missed three games with a back sprain, but is averaging 19.8 minutes per game, has started eight times and plays a big role in the rotation.
"My number one goal is to stay healthy," Ahrens said. "As a team we want to win a national championship, that's always been the goal. Me and my roommates, (Matt) McQuaid and Connor (George), have been there since we were freshmen and we always talk about a national championship each and every day and that's what we want, and that's what we are striving for."Â Â Â Â Â
Ahrens needed months of constant rehab to get back to basketball. He is thankful for teammates and family members, encouraging him daily through the time it took to get back to the court.
"My mom and fiancée were sending me Bible quotes every day to get me through it," he said. "Every day in practice I would see McQuaid when I was conditioning and he was clapping his hands at me to just give me some energy every day."
Ahrens has his history with serious injuries, leading MSU Coach Tom Izzo to say he has "Muhammad Ali" level toughness.
At Versailles High School in Ohio, a broken left leg held Ahrens out for an entire year.
Regardless, Izzo knew that a bright future was ahead.    Â
"He comes from a farm country with great parents," Izzo said. "So, it's hard not to like anything, the only thing is that he's been cheated a little bit. You pray and hope for a guy like that because he's the guy that you really wish could be a star to be honest with you. You're hoping that he could be a star."
Ahrens is now a redshirt junior who completed his bachelor's degree in advertising in December and began work on a Master of Arts in education this semester. It's the constant perseverance that elevates Ahrens above the rest.
"There's all kinds of examples of guys like him that fail and never really get back after they fail a second time," Richey said. "Kyle is really strong from a faith standpoint and I think that has helped him. He was going to do everything under the sun to try and get back."
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