MSU's Fears Has Best Game Yet
The Michigan State Spartans came to play at home against the Washington Huskies on Thursday, blowing them out in the first half before building on the lead in the second.
Throughout the game, the Spartans' point guard, redshirt freshman Jeremy Fears Jr., was everything that MSU needed him to be. He put himself in open spots for the best shots, played a strong game in his presence and continued to be the facilitator he is, dishing out 10 assists.
In the first half, Fears dropped 10 points, a huge improvement from him in the scoring department after making just three shots of nine attempts between the two games against Western Michigan and Ohio State. The lack of scoring vanished for Fears on Thursday.
On the season, Fears had been a reliable player for MSU, posting an average of 7.3 points per game in 23 minutes of play on the court. His double-double on Thursday marked the first of his career. Good news for Coach Tom Izzo and Spartan Nation, as Fears could be on the verge of coming into his own.
"I thought Jeremy moved the ball the best he's moved it," Izzo said after Thursday's game. "We talked a little bit about giving it up earlier on the break, he did for Jaden a couple times, and got him some great shots. He did it for Jase once and then drives it. Jase is so effective driving the ball from the wing and he made a couple shots. He made one great kick out. So I think that ball keeps moving we're a better basketball team. Jeremy is the straw that stirred the drink there and then defensively, he went at it."
After the performance Fears had against Washington, MSU should feel confident knowing that a younger member of the squad is able to step up when the lights are bright at home. Any Big Ten game for these young athletes has high stakes, but only the best are able to brush off the pressure and perform at a high level.
While the Spartans are still looking for Fears to build more confidence in his 3-point shooting, he has much more time in his collegiate career to build on that. Luckily for Fears, his fellow guards, including Jaden Akins, have him covered in that department.
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Dominic Minchella holds a communications degree from Eastern Michigan University. He is a former MLB writer and joins our team ad an NFL/College team reporter on Sports Illustrated