MSU Needs Jeremy Fears Jr. to Break Out of Shooting Slump
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Michigan State needs its point guard to be a threat to put the ball in the hoop more.
Jeremy Fears Jr. is doing that more this season, but he's currently going through a cold stretch from the floor. Across his last five games, Fears is only shooting 23.7% from the field and is just 1-for-12 (8.3%) from three.
Diving into Fears' Stats
For Fears to be the All-American he has the capability of becoming, he will have to reverse this trend soon.
He had gotten off to a great start in that regard. Until this five-game stretch, Fears had been making 50% of his shots from the field, including an 8-for-17 mark from deep through seven games. His being a threat to score also helps make him a better passer --- Fears averaged 9.9 assists through seven games, and has been at "just" 8.2 assists per game since. Still good, but a decrease nonetheless.
The scoring slump is something that should be able to go away with time. Fears is a much improved shooter from last year, even if his overall numbers do not seem to indicate it now. His form, which he worked on with his agent and longtime NBA player Mike Miller over the summer, is much more natural-looking now than it was last season.
What should also help Fears is the break that he is on right now. Being able to get away from basketball might help him reset and not think too much about it, and he'll have fresher legs for once it's time to resume the season against Cornell this coming Monday, and then Big Ten conference play.
Impact of Fears' Scoring
The lack of scoring from the guards has been a bit of an issue for Michigan State this season. It has not come consistently from Kur Teng, Trey Fort, or Divine Ugochukwu at the two, so some extra responsibility has fallen on Fears to make up for it.
One of the big reasons Fears being an outside shooting threat is huge is that it forces teams to go over screens against him, rather than under. If Fears can knock down a three-ball, going under a Jaxon Kohler or Carson Cooper screen is a mistake against him, because it gives him an open look.
When Fears is not making shots, they can dare him to shoot that shot and go under, which also takes away opportunities for Fears to pass the ball to the roller in the paint. That might partially explain why Fears' assists have dropped during this stretch.
Overall, the level of concern does not seem to be very high. Michigan State is still winning games, and Fears is still one of the best point guards in the country. Increasing that scoring output is an extra thing MSU might need against its upcoming stern competition.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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