Spartans' Fears Keeping Focus, 'One Game at a Time'

Michigan State Spartans freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. spoke ahead of Sunday's home battle with No. 11 Wisconsin. He made a point of focusing on the upcoming matchup and not looking ahead to a potential Big Ten title.

Feb 26, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) reacts during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The No. 8 Michigan State Spartans (23-5, 14-3) are gearing up for another monumental matchup as they host the No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers (22-6, 12-5) at the Breslin Center on Sunday afternoon. Redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. has his eye on one prize: the next game on the schedule.

The Spartans are coming off their miraculous earlier this week, shocking the No. 16 Maryland Terrapins (22-7, 12-6) with a half-court, buzzer-beater shot from junior guard Tre Holloman.

The win kept Michigan State tied for first place in the Big Ten standings with bitter rival, No. 15 Michigan (22-6, 14-3). It is not allowing its heads to get too big and has quickly turned its focus to the next top conference opponent.

"We enjoyed it, the whole plane ride back home, and when we got back here, it was still crazy," Fears said. "But at the same time, the next day, it's time for a great team [Wisconsin] that's on a great streak right now. ... Just a great squad that's coming into the Breslin and that we know it's going to be a dog fight."

The Badgers are entering East Lansing as winners of six of their last seven games. They are coming off a dismantling victory, defeating the Washington Huskies by 26 points on Tuesday night. They possess one of the Big Ten's best scorers in sixth-year senior guard John Tonje.

Fears has been an integral piece of the Spartans' success this season, averaging seven points with a team-high 5.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He was asked if he has his eyes on a Big Ten title, providing a veteran answer as to what his team's mindset is heading into Sunday afternoon.

"Just one game at a time," Fears said. " ... Don't think too much about it, game by game, do what you're supposed to do and trust in yourself and your team. ... It's kind of hard to really look forward. Obviously, we got the next three games, great teams, so we are really not looking for that. That's one of our goals, but at the end of the day, we're just trying to win the next upcoming game, game-by-game."

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