Michigan State Needs an Aggressive Jeremy Fears Jr.

Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. should take his offensive game up a notch next season.

Feb 21, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) handles the ball during the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images | Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images

Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. enjoyed a solid season as the full-time starter last season. 

Under Fears’ leadership, the Spartans made a run to the Elite Eight. Despite modest scoring numbers, Fears showed he can be the team’s lead guard for the next few years. 

However, for MSU to take a step up and make a run farther than the Elite Eight, MSU will need Fears to expand on his offensive game. He was not an aggressive scorer last year, but that must change. 

Mar 28, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) dribbles against Mississippi Rebels forward Jaemyn Brakefield (4) in the first half of a South Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The point guard averaged 7.2 points per game on five field goal attempts. He connected on less than 40 percent of his shots from the field, while hitting 34 percent of his three-point attempts on low volume. 

Fears’ offensive game is not bad. He does not shoot a high volume of shots at a low percentage; he was simply too hesitant to take shots last season. 

Much of that is because players like Tre Holloman and Jase Richardson commanded so much of the scoring. Both those guards are now gone, so the scoring burden falls on Fears. 

Fears is a strong ball-handler who can get to his spots quickly. If he can get to the rim consistently, he will put pressure on defenders to guard him at the point of attack, rather than sagging off and forcing him to shoot. 

Feb 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) dribbles down court against the USC Trojans at the Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images | William Navarro-Imagn Images

To that point, teams knew Fears would not beat them from three-point range, so they gave him space defensively. Fears must make teams respect his outside shot, which will, in turn, improve the Spartans’ offense as a whole. 

Fears' 3-point shooting

Fears is not a bad outside shooter. He has solid mechanics and no hitches in his release; he just needs to be confident in his abilities. 

The Spartans have outside shooters around Fears, like Trey Fort and Kur Teng, but the team would be much better if he expanded his offensive range. 

MSU does not need Fears to take 15 shots per game, but he would refuse to shoot when he was open far too often last season. 

He should attempt more shots next season. With an offseason to improve his game, we should see a more aggressive Fears in 2025-26.

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