Jeremy Fears’ National Momentum Keeps Building
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Michigan State basketball is off to its best start since the 2015–16 season. The Spartans sit at 9–1 after beating Penn State earlier today, highlighted by impressive wins over ranked opponents Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina. A major reason for that success has been point guard Jeremy Fears, who has quickly become not only Michigan State’s most important player but one of the top guards in the country.
Fears has emerged as one of the nation’s best distributors, leading college basketball with 9.8 assists per game. He is also averaging career highs across the board, including 11.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 1.7 steals, while shooting 41.4% from the field and 38.1% from three-point range.
His combination of playmaking, efficiency, and defense has elevated Michigan State’s ceiling from being ranked 22nd in the preseason to now being ranked ninth.
Entering Impressive Conversation
That rise hasn’t gone unnoticed nationally. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently released his top 16 National Player of the Year candidates, placing Fears at No. 7 on the list.
“If it feels like you've seen this stat line before, perhaps that's because it's almost a carbon copy of what Ryan Nembhard did at Gonzaga last season,” Miller wrote. “But whereas Nembhard didn’t even sniff third-team All-America… Fears is flirting with averaging a point–assists double-double for a Spartans team that could flirt with a No. 1 seed."
Miller added that had Fears “led Michigan State to a win against Duke, he'd probably be at No. 2 on this list.”
Fears arrived at Michigan State as part of the 2023 recruiting class alongside teammate Coen Carr. He showed promise early as a freshman, appearing in 12 games off the bench and averaging 3.5 points and 3.3 assists. His season, however, was abruptly cut short when he was shot in the leg while home for Christmas in Joliet, Illinois.
After receiving a medical redshirt, Fears returned the following season stronger than ever. He stepped into the starting role, became the team’s floor general, and quickly proved he could be one of the best point guards in the Big Ten. Now, as a sophomore, he is taking that leap on a national scale.
Fears’ journey, from a hospital bed that halted his freshman year to leading the country in assists, has been inspiring to watch. Tom Izzo has even compared his leadership to former Spartan legend Mateen Cleaves. And if Fears continues playing at this level, he has a legitimate chance to finish his career among Michigan State’s all-time greats.
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