Did Tom Izzo just tip us off on the looming NBA decision of Michigan State star point guard Jeremy Fears Jr.?
It’s decision day for Fears: Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET is the cutoff for Fears to withdraw from the NBA draft and maintain his college eligibility. So if he’s going to return to Michigan State for another season, he’ll have to make that call in the next few hours. It’s unclear which way he’s leaning, but the Spartans’ coach gave us a sliver of insight on how he thinks it’ll play out.
Per a social media post from Connor Earegood of The Detroit News, Izzo made a comment during an interview at the Mackinac Policy Conference that suggests he believes Fears is returning. When asked about next season’s team, Izzo said “we’ve got most of our guards back. I think we’ll have all of them back” which we can assume is referring to Fears.
You can see the full social media post from Earegood embedded below:
Fears had a breakout season in 2025-26, averaging 15.2 points and 9.4 assists per game. He earned multiple All-American honors and will surely be in the mix for preseason Big Ten Player of the Year should he return to college.
It was initially believed Fears would definitely be back for another season at Michigan State, but his predraft workouts and strong combine performance raised his stock and prompted concern for Spartans fans. It feels like the odds are still in favor of him returning and this comment from Izzo furthers that belief. But, we will not truly know until the deadline passes.
Stay with Spartans Wire for additional coverage and updates on Fears’ NBA decision.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Tom Izzo provides insight on Jeremy Fears Jr. NBA decision on cutoff day
Reporting by Robert Bondy, Spartans Wire / Spartans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
