Jeremy Fears Jr. Withdraws from NBA Draft, Will Return to MSU

He's coming back.

Michigan State basketball will hold onto star point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who was choosing between MSU and the NBA. He had until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday to take his name out of draft consideration to return to college. Less than two hours before the deadline, multiple credible reports come out saying that Fears was returning to college and taking his name out of the NBA Draft process.

What Decision Means for the Spartans

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. hunches over during a game against Michigan at the Breslin Center on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

It's difficult to understate the importance of Fears to Michigan State. Most were not very worried when he initially declared for the draft while keeping his collegiate eligibility, but a productive NBA Combine and some cryptic social media activity from himself and his father had worried some people.

The ceiling for MSU with Fears is a national championship in 2026-27. The floor without him is probably a fringe NCAA Tournament team. Fears was rated by EvanMiya.com as the second-most indispensable player in college hoops last season. His 6.5 win shares last season, according to CBB Reference, ranked 10th in the country.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. attempts a free throw against Cornell at the Breslin Center on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Fears coming back also prevents a "panic mode" situation from setting in for Tom Izzo and his staff. His departure would have left true freshman Carlos Medlock Jr. as the only primary ball-handler on the roster. That meant the Spartans would've likely had to either look for some of the leftovers in the portal or go try to find an international player.

It's also worth noting that incoming Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke withdrew from the draft on Wednesday, too.

Why Fears (Likely) Came Back

A first-round grade is mainly the thing Fears was looking for, according to his words in an interview with the Big Ten Network during the NBA Combine. It seems like he didn't get it. Fears was usually mocked in that mid-second round range, if at all, and was ESPN's No. 55 overall prospect as of Tuesday night.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. jogs out to the court after being introduced as a starter against Northwestern at the Breslin Center on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Coming back also gives Fears the chance to up his draft stock and also probably make some more money in the process. A pretty conservative estimate of Fears' earnings for next season would be $3 million. Late first-round picks in the NBA last year didn't make that much (Jase Richardson had a cap hit of $2.98 million to the Orlando Magic as the 25th overall pick).

This also doesn't have to be an "all-in" year for Fears. He still has another two years of collegiate eligibility, so there isn't a huge rush to get to the league right away. The main obstacle is his three-point shooting, something that feels very close to breaking through with Fears' solid mid-range game and elite free-throw shot.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. gets back on defense against Indiana on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, at the Breslin Center. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Add us as a preferred source on Google