East Lansing — The most important decision of Michigan State’s offseason is just days away. Much like he was all year, Jeremy Fears Jr. is in the spotlight as he assesses his pro potential.
A strong sophomore season for Fears earned him All-American honors as he broke a few records along the way. Now, the Michigan State point guard has spent the past month dipping his feet into the NBA Draft process, which included a strong performance at last week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. The process now culminates in his final decision, which is due before midnight on May 27.
Like Cinderella, only instead of a glass slipper Fears is trying his hand at being a first-round draft pick, which comes with money and clout to rival what a return to Michigan State could bring.
“Really if I’m able to get some good feedback, I believe I’m a first-round talent,” Fears told Big Ten Network last week. “There’s a lot of players in the first round I played against, or probably, like, seen throughout the college (season), but that’s a big thing if I can get a first round spot.
“My dream is to play in the NBA. That’s for sure a big dream and if not then go back to college and try to work my way up and get that.”
Before the combine, head coach Tom Izzo reiterated that he expected Fears to come back to school this fall. That was before Fears turned some heads by showing the same cerebral, tenacious playmaking that makes him a gem at Michigan State. Mock drafts that sparsely mentioned him now label him a second-round talent. His father, Jeremy Fears Sr., hints that there are conversations that Fears Jr. could go in the late first round.
“I never could really see myself putting too much stock in rankings and mock drafts,” Fears Sr. posted on X (formerly Twitter).
What did the NBA Combine reveal about Jeremy Fears Jr.?
In his redshirt sophomore season and his second as the starting point guard for Michigan State, Fears averaged 15.2 points per game to lead his team and 9.4 assists per game to lead the country. He was the engine for Izzo’s squad that made it to the Sweet 16. It’s a strong résumé, and one that piques pro teams’ interest.
Sure, there are physical limitations to Fears that he can’t overcome. He measured in a touch over 6 feet tall at the combine (note, that’s barefoot, whereas teams usually list height in shoes) with a 6-foot-4 wingspan and an 8-1 standing reach. He weighed in at 196 pounds. For NBA players, height matters, but playing on a smaller frame may be part of the reason Fears impresses observers so much. He’s crafty and cerebral, finding ways to set up teammates for success.
In a pair of combine scrimmages, Fears averaged 13 points, eight assists and four turnovers with three rebounds to boot. He shot 8-for-16 from the field and 1-for-3 from 3-point range, with a box score plus-minus of plus-22 between the games.
Analysts who watched Fears came away impressed, including Ben Pfeifer of EssentiallySports.
“He did all of the Jeremy Fears things,” Pfeifer said. “Pushing in transition, even after made baskets which he’s always doing. He was disrupting stuff on defense with his hands. He was snaking the pick-and-roll to get a shot in the mid-range. I think he just did his thing. That’s generally why I’m a fan of him, and why I think people are fans of his game.
“He’s very smart. He has a lot of really good defensive abilities, whether that’s guarding the ball with his quick hands and quick feet, or making plays off the ball. I also really do like the way that he plays offense in that team setting, with pushing in transition, always looking to set players up. It’s easy for me to imagine him becoming a really effective role player point guard at the next level, and I think he showed that off for the most part.”
Pfeifer’s latest big board of NBA prospects labels Fears the eighth best point guard in the class and the 34th overall prospect. It’s a loaded class of floor generals, with Houston’s Kingston Flemings rated the best, Detroit’s own Darius Acuff Jr. ranked fourth and Big Ten peer Bennett Stirtz at sixth.
From his experience at the combine and also through three years of college hoops, Fears possesses a clear vision of what he must improve at either the college or pro level.
“On the defensive end, I wanted to take that up a notch, and then also shooting,” he told Big Ten Network. “I think I made a 3 a game this year which was huge coming from the previous year. So next year whether it’s NBA or (college) just be more consistent.”
Pfeifer seconds those points, and he pointed to how the high IQ that Fears plays with may also get the player into some of those situations defensively that he wants to improve.
“I do think he can, at times, gamble a little bit. It comes with the territory with just how gifted he is in terms of his instincts and his speed,” Pfeifer said, “and some of the ways that he can attack screens and do all those things. But there are some moments where I think he’s freelancing off the ball. He’ll stunt when he shouldn’t, and maybe get caught in no man’s land, but ultimately I don’t have a ton of super notable improvement areas for him on defense outside of just kind of technical seasoning and working on his discipline and timing.”
Should Jeremy Fears Jr. stay at Michigan State or go to the NBA?
On Sunday, after the combine ended, Fears went to social media with a question. Perhaps it was more of a gentle scolding to fans who’ve been on his case to come back.
“How can people tell you what’s best for YOU ???” he wrote on X.
Ultimately, Fears is chasing pro dreams that predate his Michigan State loyalties. Playing for Izzo’s Spartans is just a part of a larger journey, even though Fears has put blood, sweat and tears into a program that he could go down as one of the greats. Nobody should underestimate how much playing in the world’s most famous basketball league is a draw for players.
Conventional wisdom would say that for a player of Fears’ caliber, who’s being labeled a second-round talent by most mock drafts — again, his dad is hinting there are better offers — coming back for his redshirt junior year can improve his stock. But another year in school doesn’t always guarantee a stock rise, even if right now he’s up against this crowded field of fellow point guards.
Outside of the specter of injury or a down year of production, Fears would have to compare himself to next year’s expected draft class a year from now, against which he may stack up differently. The other side of the coin: some players in similar tweener positioning this year may themselves decide to come back to school, and that could elevate Fears’ position in this class. Sometimes the right time to leave depends on who you’re leaving with. It’s like a game of chicken, in a way.
A return to Michigan State, however, almost certainly comes with a legacy to it. Part of the lore of Mateen Cleaves is that he came back — twice — to finally win the Spartans a national championship in 2000. Cassius Winston played his senior year after breaking Big Ten records on the way to the Final Four as a junior. Even Magic Johnson stayed an extra year when the pros were ready for him, winning the Spartans their first NCAA title in 1979. Different situations, of course, and yet Fears finds himself in similar territory.
Fears is already Michigan State’s single-season assists record holder, and his assist rate last season was one of the best ever seen in the college game, period. In the Round of 32, Fears broke Johnson’s school record for NCAA Tournament game assists. The Detroit News asked Fears about his burgeoning legacy among the other greats, and he respectfully balked.
“They’ve been in Final Fours, championships, everything that you can imagine,” Fears said. “So I’m still working. I’m still trying to get better and help the team. … At the end of the day, I’m just happy to keep playing.”
Maybe Final Four dreams play into his decision-making process. Maybe they don’t. Maybe Michigan State’s camp realizes that for all that this NBA Draft dalliance does to give Fears leverage, it’s worth putting together a financial package to keep him around for a team that’s eyeing the Final Four in Detroit next April. Sometimes bidding high in the NIL era isn’t about making a 20-something a millionaire. There are times that it’s about making sure a talented player makes the right decision.
What’s best for Fears? Only he can decide. All Michigan State and its fans can do is watch him make it.
cearegood@detroitnews.com
@ConnorEaregood
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: All MSU eyes on Jeremy Fears Jr. as NBA Draft decision awaits
Reporting by Connor Earegood, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
