Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
Ahrens Reflects on his Years at Michigan State
3/31/2020 1:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State men's basketball redshirt senior Kyle Ahrens (Versailles, Ohio/Versailles) and his classmates each took time to say farewell to the Spartans following the conclusion of the 2019-20. The letter from Ahrens will be the first of three this week.
Dear Michigan State,
My time as a student-athlete has been nothing but amazing. There were a lot of ups and downs that were hard to get through, but with my teammates, our fans and my family that made up my support group, it's been nothing but the best, the best time of my life, the best five years I could imagine, so I just want to thank you for everything.
Everyone is going to be upset about the season getting cut short, especially with the roll we were on. It stinks, but when you reflect on the season that we had, and all the ups and downs that we had, you kind of look back and you look at our last game, and we were able to win a championship. It is kind of settling to know that we won our last game as a Michigan State Spartan. That is special to me and it's special to our team.
I want to thank my teammates, first and foremost. They stuck by my side, they motivated me quite a bit when I was hurt, in the locker room, the weight room, while they were practicing. They always kept a smile on my face no matter what and I can't thank them enough.
For the fans, I thank them for sticking by my side no matter what. It's been hard but they helped me get through it, they showed their support and I can't thank them enough.
I've learned a lot of lessons in my five years at Michigan State. I grew more into who I wanted to become as a man. I'm thankful for the opportunity I was given. All of the coaches did a great job. There were a lot of hard times, but they really helped me out. When I wasn't doing my job, they made sure I heard about it. It's very important to have someone like that in your life because they want what's best for you.Â
The most important lesson I've learned is facing through adversity. There were a lot of hard times I went through and facing through adversity is one of the most important things in life because it's never going to be perfect. There will be a lot of ups and downs and you have to learn to just ride it.
I wouldn't trade the last five years for the world. It's been so special to me and it made me a better person.
I'll always Bleed Green … Kyle Ahrens
Â
Dear Michigan State,
My time as a student-athlete has been nothing but amazing. There were a lot of ups and downs that were hard to get through, but with my teammates, our fans and my family that made up my support group, it's been nothing but the best, the best time of my life, the best five years I could imagine, so I just want to thank you for everything.
Everyone is going to be upset about the season getting cut short, especially with the roll we were on. It stinks, but when you reflect on the season that we had, and all the ups and downs that we had, you kind of look back and you look at our last game, and we were able to win a championship. It is kind of settling to know that we won our last game as a Michigan State Spartan. That is special to me and it's special to our team.
I want to thank my teammates, first and foremost. They stuck by my side, they motivated me quite a bit when I was hurt, in the locker room, the weight room, while they were practicing. They always kept a smile on my face no matter what and I can't thank them enough.
For the fans, I thank them for sticking by my side no matter what. It's been hard but they helped me get through it, they showed their support and I can't thank them enough.
I've learned a lot of lessons in my five years at Michigan State. I grew more into who I wanted to become as a man. I'm thankful for the opportunity I was given. All of the coaches did a great job. There were a lot of hard times, but they really helped me out. When I wasn't doing my job, they made sure I heard about it. It's very important to have someone like that in your life because they want what's best for you.Â
The most important lesson I've learned is facing through adversity. There were a lot of hard times I went through and facing through adversity is one of the most important things in life because it's never going to be perfect. There will be a lot of ups and downs and you have to learn to just ride it.
I wouldn't trade the last five years for the world. It's been so special to me and it made me a better person.
I'll always Bleed Green … Kyle Ahrens
Â
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Men's BasketballTom Izzo | Men's Basketball Press Conference | Mar. 23 2026
Monday, March 23
#3 Michigan State vs #6 Louisville | Cinematic Highlights | NCAA Round of 32
Monday, March 23
Tom Izzo | Men's Basketball Press Conference | Mar. 16 2026
Monday, March 16
Tom Izzo | Men's Basketball Press Conference | Mar. 15 2026
Sunday, March 15