Michigan State Star Declares for 2026 NBA Draft

Jeremy Fears Jr. will test the NBA Draft waters after a stellar sophomore season with the Spartans.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo talks with guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The 2026 NBA Draft continues to garner some of the top talent in college basketball, as one of the top point guards in the country will test the waters this year. Michigan State star Jeremy Fears Jr. announced via social media that he has declared for the draft while maintaining college eligibility.

The redshirt sophomore has come a long way since first joining the Spartans in 2023. A gunshot wound cut his freshman season short, but he was granted a medical redshirt. Since then, he has grown into one of the Big Ten's best players.

This past season, Fears averaged 15.2 points while leading the nation in assists at 9.4 per game. He was the catalyst in Tom Izzo's offense, showing elite court vision and poise, able to operate in any situation.

Brother of New Orleans Pelicans rookie Jeremiah, Fears took his facilitation to another level in the NCAA Tournament. In three games, he averaged 10.7 points and 11.3 assists, including 12 points and 16 dimes in a second-round win over Louisville.

The Illinois native struggled to score, shooting 29.3% from the field, but he made up for it with historic passing, setting a record for the most assists over any two-game NCAA tournament span by a Big Ten player in 50 years. The previous player to do so was Magic Johnson.

Fears could very well return to East Lansing for a junior season, as he isn't projected so high on mock drafts and big boards. His court vision and explosiveness are his biggest strengths, but he struggled to shoot the ball this year, posting 43-32-88 shooting splits. March Madness saw that dip to 29-33-75.

The likelihood is that the 6-foot-2 point guard returns to Michigan State, but if he makes a surprising decision to stay in the draft, he could end up being a mid-to-late second-round pick. He has drawn attention within his conference as of late, with First-Team All-Big Ten and Second-Team All-America (AP) honors this year.

The NBA is built on roles, so Fears' abilities as a floor general could entice teams in the backend of the order. He doesn't need to average 20 points per game to be effective, and he can set up teammates for easy buckets in transition and the half-court.

The deadline for players to withdraw from the draft is May 27, so we won't know Fears' official decision for quite some time.