Tom Izzo Reveals What He Told Jeremy Fears Before Dominating Duke

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo had a message for Jeremy Fears Jr. before Tuesday night’s showdown against No. 2 Duke, and apparently, it got through loud and clear. The Spartans’ star point guard responded by putting together a brilliant performance in a 79-73 victory at the Champions Classic in Chicago.

Fears finished with 18 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds as No. 5 Michigan State improved to 3-0. But following the victory, Izzo revealed that he had challenged his point guard to start playing like the superstar everyone expected him to be.

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According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Izzo made it clear that preseason accolades come with serious expectations.

“You’re given a rank, you have a responsibility to live up to that ranking,” Izzo said.

Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr., right, celebrates with Coen Carr after Carr scored and drew a Toledo foul during the first half on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

Tom Izzo Wanted More From Jeremy Fears

Despite Fears entering the season with national recognition, Izzo wasn’t completely satisfied with his performance through Michigan State’s first two games. The Hall of Fame coach explained that his point guard simply hadn’t looked like himself.

“And I thought he was okay in the first couple games,” Izzo continued. “I didn’t think he was Jeremy-like. And tonight I thought he played hard.”

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That shouldn’t surprise anyone who has followed Izzo’s career. The veteran coach had already raised the expectations for Fears, making it clear that being merely good was no longer enough.

Tuesday night was exactly the response Izzo wanted. Fears controlled the tempo, created opportunities for his teammates, and helped Michigan State build a lead Duke never managed to erase.

Fears acknowledged that Izzo had been pushing him, particularly when it came to playing faster and being more aggressive.

“He’s been big on me lately, especially about…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tom-izzo-reveals-told-jeremy-134137638.html

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Publish date : 2026-11-11 13:41:00

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