NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
EAST LANSING — Jeremy Fears Jr. has elevated his game over the past six weeks to an All-American level, regardless of the chastising and consternation around him.
Fears’ play may even be among the best in Michigan State basketball history by the time the season ends.
Advertisement
Tom Izzo watched his point guard once again take over and dominate after halftime Saturday, Feb. 7, against No. 6 Illinois. Fears scored 11 of the 10th-ranked Spartans’ 14 points in overtime and finished with 26 points and 15 assists against two turnovers in a come-from-behind 85-82 victory at Breslin Center.
“I felt bad – that hurt me, and I was hurting my team,” Fears said of the on-court controversy that started eight days earlier with a loss to Michigan. “But at the end of the day, without the team, coach Izzo, the coaches, their support and belief in me kept me grounded. Understanding that I need the team, the team needs me. And it just was a bonding moment, I think. It just brought us closer.
“It was just a distraction we didn’t need. And just being able to come out here and get this win was special.”
Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. prepares to shoot free throws against Illinois during overtime on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound redshirt sophomore from Joliet, Illinois, entered Sunday ranked fourth in the KenPom.com national player of the year standings. Fears trails Duke’s Cameron Boozer, Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson and Houston’s Kingston Flemings.
Advertisement
Against the Illini, Fears either scored or assisted on 22 of MSU’s 29 made shots – almost 76%. He also had a hand in 62 of his team’s 85 points, including going 12-for-13 on free throws. His 15 assists rank fourth-most in a game by a Spartan, along with directing MSU to a 22-0 advantage in fastbreak points over Illinois (20-4, 11-2 Big Ten).
1 / 11
Michigan State basketball hosts Illinois in top-10 showdown
Jeremy Fears Jr. of the Michigan State Spartans handles…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/msus-jeremy-fears-jr-adds-180954087.html
Author :
Publish date : 2026-02-08 18:09:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
