Maybe it’s the lack of a height difference.
But there’s something to be said for when Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo puts his arm around his point guard and the two are eye to eye, sometimes comforting, always mentoring, that makes the relationship seem even more special.
Watching Izzo put his arm around Jeremy Fears Jr. on the sideline during a break in play in an exhibition against UConn, it struck me that Izzo may have found his next true point guard.
“Can he lead us? And leading us happens when you’re having somewhat success in your own game,’’ Izzo said in the preseason of Fears Jr. “You’ve got to feel good about yourself to make others feel good. And I think that’s what he’s working on, what we’re working on. He’s with me – him and I are going to spend a lot of time together this year. He’s healthy, he’s had a great summer, and I think he’s ready to go.”
Now, let’s be clear, Fears is not close to being on the level of either Mateen Cleaves or Cassius Winston — the truest point guards who have played for Izzo in the past 25 years. Cleaves won a championship in 2000 for the Spartans and Winston had an incredible leadership style that helped Michigan State get to a Final Four in 2019 after upsetting Duke in the Elite Eight.
But Fears Jr., has the potential to be in that mold.
And he’s listening to Izzo, not challenging him or being stubborn about meeting the demands of playing the playmaker for Izzo. “He knows what he’s talking about,’’ said Fears Jr. “I just have to understand and listen to what he’s saying.’’
He comes from a point guard family. His father, Jeremy, played for Ohio and Bradley. Jeremy Jr.’s younger brother, Jeremiah, had a sensational freshman season at Oklahoma and then was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans.
Jeremy Fears Jr., might have been on a similar path had he not been shot in his leg when a suspect entered his home while he was back in Joliet, Ill., for Christmas on Dec. 23, 2023. A three-hour surgery was needed to remove the bullet. Fears was granted a medical redshirt after playing in only 12 games due to the shooting his freshman season. That life-threatening incident clearly changed him.
“I wake up every day and say, ‘Thank God,’’’ said Fears Jr. “I pray for my friends, family and everyone around me. I get to do something that I love again. I was blessed to have another opportunity to play basketball. So, every day I come out for practice and games I don’t take that for granted.’’
Fears was behind Tyson Walker (really more of a two guard than a point) and AJ Hoggard (who wasn’t always in sync with Izzo) and to some extent Tre Holloman during those early games his freshman season before he was shot.
In his dozen appearances he averaged 15.3 minutes, 3.3 points and 3.3 assists. He shared the position with Holloman when he returned last season and had more help on the wing with Jaden Akins and ultimate one-and-done guard Jase Richardson.
His numbers climbed to 7.2 points and 5.4 assists a game and the Spartans won the Big Ten regular season by three games.
This season, the pressure and the demands on Fears Jr. have increased, as he’ll be playing alongside wings that are not as experienced. He opened the season by scoring 14 points with 10 assists and 5 steals in a win over Colgate.
Is he ready to be the next true Michigan State point guard?
“Jeremy Fears is a version of Mateen Cleaves,’’ Izzo said after the win over Colgate. “He’s not there yet …There’s a lot of pressure on Jeremy because right now those wings haven’t played very well, but I thought that in the second half, Jeremy did everything I asked him to do and more. Those stats are unbelievable with the rebounds, the steals, the assists, the lack of turnovers.’’
Following the exhibition loss a week earlier at UConn, Fears said he understood he needs to make more progress. “It’s something I’m striving for and working towards but I’ve got a lot of work to do,’’ he said.
Fears knows he has to take better care of the basketball. He must continue to grow as a leader and elevate his defense, especially in the Big Ten, where he will have to go against elite All-American point guards such as Purdue’s Braden Smith and UCLA’s Donovan Dent, not to mention a rising star in Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad.
And he’s absorbing anything he can from the playmaking alumni of the program, from Magic on down.
“They were all tough winners,’’ Fears said of the elite point guards who came through the program.
Fears said he continuously talks to the alumni playmakers, always asking about playing for Izzo and how to elevate his game. The alumni have told him about playing hard every day, leadership and why the point guard spot is really big for Izzo. He said they told him the point guards need to be an extension of him.
And if Fears can be successful, he’s got a shot to help get the Spartans back in the NCAA Tournament.
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