MSU Needs More from Fears as Tough Schedule Looms

Jeremy Fears Jr. must be Michigan State's engine if they want to take the Big Ten crown.

Feb 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) dribbles the ball against the USC Trojans during the second half push at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images | William Navarro-Imagn Images

The Michigan State Spartans are preparing for the toughest part of their season as several ranked opponents await them. 

Tom Izzo has dealt with difficult schedules before, so he knows how to get his team into the right mindset to handle the next month. 

They have a home game against Oregon, who, as long as Dana Altman is the coach, will be a tough out. The Ducks have lost four straight but will be desperate, so MSU cannot take them lightly. 

Then, after a home game against Indiana, the Spartans travel to take on No. 23 Illinois, face No. 7 Purdue at home, and then face No. 24 Michigan and No. 18 Maryland on the road to close out the month. MSU was fortunate to give itself a cushion in the form of a 13-game winning streak from December to January. 

As the Spartans prepare for this tough stretch, they need a leader to emerge. That has been Jeremy Fears Jr. early in the season, and MSU needs its sophomore to maintain that mantle. 

Fears has not played his best basketball over the last few weeks, dating back to the Rutgers game. Since then, he has averaged 6.8 points per game on 42 percent shooting from the field, below his season averages. He has also turned the ball over eight times. 

While Fears is not a scoring guard, it could help the team if he was less passive and began searching for his own shot. Fears could put pressure on the rim and get to the free throw line, where he has converted on over 75 percent. 

Fears getting to the rim also allows off-ball players to cut or get open for outside shots. His dribbling and stopping in the paint does nothing but clog up the middle and stagnate the offense, so he should avoid this going forward. 

His three-point shot is improving. He has only taken 19 threes but is shooting over 42 percent from beyond the arc. He should continue to take that shot so he can continue to improve in that aspect of his game. 

Fears is a talented player with the right mindset to be an Izzo point guard. Last year, he was shot in the leg, which would be difficult for anyone to recover from. It would be understandable if he were still dealing with some related struggles. 

MSU needs Fears to regain his identity and lead the team through the toughest stretch of the season.

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