How March Madness Remains Special to MSU's Fears as Player

BUFFALO, N.Y. --- Every college basketball fan has memories of growing up and watching the NCAA Tournament.

Star Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. is one of those people. He remembers watching UCF and 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall go toe-to-toe with Duke and Zion Williamson and watching the first round games on his computer during class, even when he was supposed to be doing schoolwork.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. hunches over during a game against Michigan at the Breslin Center on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

"The teachers never saw it, luckily," Fears said Wednesday. "Now I'm able to play in March Madness, which is special. I would make like six or five brackets [with] different teams winning, who I think will win, upsets, and whatnot. But the older I got, the more I started to understand and know how deep it is and who can be who and all that stuff, and it just made it a lot more special."

Fears is the most valuable player in the third-seeded Spartans' run this season, which begins against North Dakota State on Thursday (4:05 p.m. ET, TNT). As the nation's leader in assists per game, MSU will go as far as its point guard takes it. Fears think that can be pretty far.

Fears' Bracket

Mar 18, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Michigan State Spartans Guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) answers questions during a press conference prior to a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Yes, Fears still does fill out a bracket, even when he is a part of all the fun. He can't remember exactly who the other three teams he has in the Final Four are, but Fears has his own team hoisting the trophy at the end.

"I still fill out a bracket for the fun of it," Fears said. "Obviously, [I put] some realistic stuff that I think from watching certain teams around the world, and what I think would be a good matchup, what I think of a team. I just love basketball, and I'm just happy I get to play. I'm grateful I'm still able to play."

Fears often brings up his appreciation for being able to play. That gift was close to being taken away after he was shot in the leg during his true freshman season. He had to re-learn to walk, and Tom Izzo said on a few occasions last season that Fears still hadn't gotten back all of his explosiveness. That's changed for the better this year.

"This year, coming in, I finally felt like myself more than last year..." Fears said. "I just needed some time, and I needed a summer to get better and all that."

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. jogs out to the court after being introduced as a starter against Northwestern at the Breslin Center on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Fears Is a Competitor

North Dakota State head coach David Richman, who is tasked with the unenviable task of game-planning for Fears. Brought up Fears' explosiveness and speed, and how he's a player that simply cannot be simulated by a scout team.

"I think he's just a fierce competitor," Richman said about Fears. "He's an elite athlete... There's just some things that we aren't gonna be able to simulate in practice, where our scout team can't do those things. But he is so fast, and he is so dynamic, and the other thing that you can really appreciate about that... he's a willing winner. He prioritizes winning."