1. Jeremy Fears Jr.’s return to MSU makes sense, even if he could stick in the NBA now
The was an underlying belief that Jeremy Fears Jr. would ultimately pull his name out of the NBA draft and return to Michigan State for one more season. But the closer he came to the 11th hour, the more you wondered.
I think he just wanted to make MSU fans sweat a little. Or perhaps give NBA teams all the time possible to fall in love with him.
Wednesday night, less than two hours before the deadline, Fears announced he’d be back at MSU for a fourth season.
The question wasn’t whether Fears might have shot to stick in the NBA. It was whether it made sense to go now. If he could get an NBA team to promise him they’d select him in the first round, where, even in the back end, he’d make more than $3 million a year for four years, then you go now. Otherwise, he’d likely make significantly more money at MSU next season.
Fears has some areas still to develop — his outside shot, his left hand, the consistency of his defense. He could do all of that in the NBA, if an NBA team was invested in his development. That’s the other advantage of being a first-round pick — that franchise has some skin in the game. Fears was projected as a second-rounder.
Other than the possibility of injury, there’s no downside for Fears in coming back to MSU. I’m sure, at some point, he realized that. He’ll have a full year to work on those areas that could use improvement, another year in the spotlight, this time beginning the season as a returning All-American and All-Big Ten player, with a chance to elevate his profile even more. That can make a difference. Especially for elite college point guards. It did for Denzel Valentine and Mateen Cleaves, for example — two imperfect NBA prospects who rode their MSU stardom to becoming mid-first-round picks 16 years apart. It has for others, too.
Age isn’t an issue for Fears, who just turned 21. If he was vying to be the No. 1-overall pick, being a year older might hurt him. But NBA teams next year will be looking at him to come in and perhaps run their second unit, hoping he’ll be a good investment for four or five years. Also working in his favor: Next year’s NBA draft is projected to be considerably weaker than this one.
In other words, coming back to MSU was a sensible move, as long he’s still fully invested in the college basketball experience and wouldn’t spend the year wishing he was somewhere else.
2. Fears is the catalyst for every MSU lineup
For MSU, this is a season-changing decision. It wouldn’t have necessarily been a death blow if Fears had gone to the NBA, but the Spartans would have had to get lo lucky at the point guard spot. They would have needed freshman Carlos Medlock Jr. to be ready beyond his years (which is not out of the realm of possibility) and to add another point guard — somehow, from somewhere — who could play real minutes. Instead, they’re good to go, with the best point guard situation they’ve had as a starter-backup combo since perhaps Kalin Lucas and Korie Lucious, if Wedlock is what he seems.
Tom Izzo called this MSU group one of his most complete teams in a recent conversation. That unravels quickly without Fears.
With him, every lineup looks pretty formidable. There are a lot of interesting lineup possibilities, but all of them begin with Fears as the catalyst.
I don’t know how many NBA players are on this MSU roster — a few guys have a chance down the road — but Fears is one. He comes with a been-there swagger, excelling in the Big Ten and at the NBA combine. You don’t usually get another year out of players like that.
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3. Fears has a chance to move up the list of MSU’s all-time greats
By returning and playing a second season as an elite headliner for the Spartans and third season as a starting point guard, Fears has a chance to climb on the list of all-time greats at MSU. And while I think becoming an NBA player means more, his place in MSU history is something that matters to him, especially among point guards.
If Fears had left this year, I’d have him easily in my top 50 all-time at MSU, just behind Kalin Lucas at No. 22 and probably ahead of Drew Neitzel at No. 24. But there’s another level within his reach, if he has an All-American season and leads the Spartans somewhere meaningful, like the Final Four in Detroit. It’s not hard to imagine him in that top 10 group, pushing for the places held by Valentine, Steve Smith, Shawn Respert, and Scott Skiles. To crack to the top three — where Cassius Winston sits — he’d need to have a truly special season. But given the jump we saw from Fears between his second and third seasons, I wouldn’t put it past him.
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Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on X @Graham_Couch and BlueSky @GrahamCouch.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Couch: 3 quick takes on Jeremy Fears Jr. returning to Michigan State basketball next season
Reporting by Graham Couch, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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