Michigan State basketball is ‘Point Guard U’ for a reason

Michigan State basketball landed yet another top-tier point guard on Thursday night as Jeremy Fears committed, MSU is truly ‘Point Guard U’.

Michigan State has earned the right to claim the college basketball title of ‘Point Guard U’.

Throughout the course of the past four decades, head coach Jud Heathcote and his successor Tom Izzo have as strong of a track record as anyone in the country when it comes to developing elite lead guards. From Magic Johnson and Scott Skiles in the 1970s and 1980s to Eric Snow, Mateen Cleaves, and Kalin Lucas in the 1990s and 2000s, these quarterbacks of the hardwood have been essential in elevating Michigan State into the blueblood fraternity of NCAA hoops.

Even the ones who bridged these five-stars to the most efficient player (in terms of collective personal statistics) to ever to call East Lansing home were terrific. Drew Neitzel, Travis Walton, Keith Appling, and Travis Trice kept the wins coming until the great Cassius Winston arrived and would go on a net-torching tour across Big Ten arenas during four incredible seasons in the green and white. He finished his career holding the all-time conference record for most assists and only enhanced MSU’s reputation as being a factory for producing first-class floor generals.

The next great one appears to be on the way. Michigan State has landed a commitment from Jeremy Fears of La Lumiere (Ind.). This is the same high school that produced former Spartan standout Jaren Jackson Jr.

Fears is a consensus top-30 player in the class of 2023 and is without a doubt one of the top pure point guards in the nation on the prep circuit. He’s a decorated prospect who collected north of 20 offers (including Gonzaga, UConn, and Kansas just to name a few). MSU turned up their pursuit of him in the summer of 2021 and the staff as a whole never let their foot off the gas while targeting him. He became their main priority and they’ll build the 2023 class around him.

This marks the second consecutive recruitment cycle that Izzo has secured a pledge from an upper-echelon high school point guard after Tre Holloman (out of Minnesota) signed on as a key member of the 2022 class alongside west coast big man Jaxon Kohler. Izzo is loading up on blue-chip point guards and with the impact they can have on a program’s overall success, you can’t blame him.

Current starting point guard Tyson Walker will be a senior next season (and likely gone when Fears joins the roster — barring the usage of a COVID year) while AJ Hoggard can be erratic at times with his play (he’ll be a junior by the time the fall of 2022 rolls around and a senior once Fears sets foot on campus). The turnovers Hoggard commits are a major concern, therefore the door will be open for Holloman and Fears to seize playing time when their chance to slide on a Spartan jersey comes.

It will be interesting to see how Izzo utilizes Holloman and Fears.

You’ll certainly see him play the pair together in spurts but it simply will boil down to which of them emerges as the go-to guy as a result of who proves to be more effective when they’re on the floor. Jaden Akins can play the one but he seems better suited to play off the ball to make the best use of his athleticism and scoring so it’s doubtful that his presence on the roster will affect Holloman or Fears too much.

Fears is more of a traditional pass-first point guard, a facilitator who runs an offense well and defends with great energy. He looks to get others involved and is not the type of guard who hunts dozens of shots per game. He’s as strong as an ox, in the mold of former NBA All-Stars Baron Davis and Chauncey Billups. He’s still growing and will add more muscle in the years to come.

You could eventually envision him locking up opposing guards while also using his power and quickness to slash and finish through contact on the other end of the floor. He is a plus athlete with a smooth jumper that will improve over time as he spends hours in the gym getting shots up. He has all the tools to be a nightmare for opposing teams in the Big Ten.

Holloman, in comparison, possesses a more slender build with good length. His body and game resemble Sacramento King stud De’Aaron Fox. Holloman is not afraid to fire up shots if he is given a clean look at the basket. You could see Izzo using Holloman as a combo guard and playing him off the ball if he hands Fears the keys to the offense. Holloman is fearless — filled with intensity –and he and Fears will surely thrive along the perimeter in the man-to-man defensive scheme MSU swarms their foes with.

Yes, Michigan State will have two outstanding weapons at the point, two tough playmakers. This isn’t a problem for Izzo, rather this tandem will wind up being a problem for those who square off against the Spartans.