Why MSU's Backcourt of Fears, Medlock Can Become Elite
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Michigan State has a pair of point guards who can both be standouts this coming season.
The best news of the offseason for the Spartans was that Jeremy Fears Jr. was coming back. Incoming freshman Carlos Medlock Jr. will be the next option off the bench. This pairing can be a pretty elite one.
Outlook for Fears
You don't really need anyone to tell you what Fears will be doing as the starter. He was an AP Second Team All-American, MSU's leading scorer, and the nation's leading assist-getter last season. I'd wager that nobody in high-major college basketball was more valuable to their individual team than Fears.
Part of the reason for that is a lack of help in the backcourt, though. Fears could hardly leave the court for more than a minute or two at a time. The idea was for Divine Ugochukwu (now at LSU) to be the primary backup, but he shifted more toward being the starting shooting guard around the time the Big Ten schedule began and eventually missed the rest of the season with a foot injury.
That made Denham Wojcik the second point guard permanently. He got criticized more than he deserved, but it was also clear he just wasn't at the level of the other nine players on the court with him.
Assuming good health for everybody this season, the addition of Medlock will take a massive weight off Fears' shoulders.
What Medlock Can Do
Medlock is a high-tier 4-star recruit in the class of 2026. He's ranked 50th overall in the class on the 247Sports Composite and was teammates with fellow incoming freshman Ethan Taylor at Link Academy this season in Missouri. Medlock is from the Detroit area, though, and was the first person to commit to the Spartans' high-ranking class.
What makes Medlock fit quickly is the fact that he's more of a score-first guard. Michigan State didn't get enough scoring from its bench last season, ranking in the middle of the pack. Medlock is a guy who can keep the offense afloat by himself with Fears on the bench. He's not the passer Fears is, but good enough that others will still be involved while he's on the court.
Medlock is enough of a scorer that I really think MSU should perhaps find ways to put him on the court alongside Fears. Shooting is one of Medlock's strengths as a player, and he can move well enough off the ball to potentially get some looks while Fears is distributing.
Having two great ball-handlers on the court at the same time just opens up the offense a lot, too. Not everything will have to flow through Fears' hands, and defenses will have to worry about all five guys on the court every possession.
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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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