Will Michigan State's Fears Step Up as Next Star Guard?
Michigan State has suffered key losses at the guard position this offseason. Freshman guard Jase Richardson declared for the NBA Draft, senior Jaden Akins no longer has eligibility and junior Tre Holloman transferred to NC State.
However, the Spartans will have guard Jeremy Fears Jr. return after he made strides in his first full season.
The question for Michigan State is: Can Fears become the player that steps up to run the Michigan State offense next season?
Fears was the leading facilitator for the Spartans last season, averaging 5.4 assists per game. If he has more possessions with the ball in his hands, he has the potential to be one of the top assist leaders in the Big Ten next season.
At times, Fears was an unreliable scorer who had difficulty getting buckets. But as the season went on, Fears was noticeably more comfortable in his role and was able to use his speed to draw contact from defenders.
Fears will have to work on his perimeter shot after shooting 34 percent from 3 on 1.1 attempts per game. If the 6-2 guard can apply a jump shot that defenses can't leave open, the court will open up for him.
Without other shot-creators like Richardson and Akins, Fears will have to prove he can shoulder the responsibility of running the Spartans’ offense while drawing more attention from opposing teams.
Expect Fears to step up next season as a vocal leader for Michigan State, as he is now one of the longest-tenured Spartans. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has expressed how proud he is of how Fears has developed, especially with everything he has had to overcome during his tenure.
Fears' brother, Jeremiah, was the leading scoring option at Oklahoma. During his freshman campaign, he averaged 17 points per game while facing a difficult SEC schedule. The Sooners’ guard is one of the best college prospects and a projected top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Jeremy may not have as much hype as his brother, but he can still be a marquee name in college basketball over the next few seasons if he continues to develop.
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