When Thursday’s ranked battle against North Carolina got underway, it looked like Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. was going to play more of a facilitator role. He wasn’t looking for his own shots, and he was pushing the ball up the floor, trying to catch the defense off guard by drawing the Tar Heels in, and he would then look for the open man.
Fears just isn’t a shoot-first point guard, and he’s much more of a pure passer. He’s one of the best passing point guards in the country, leading the nation in assists per game.
It was going to be another one of those games where he scores 6-8 points but finishes with 10-plus assists and plays some high-energy defense. Well, it felt like that until the final minutes of the game.
North Carolina cut Michigan State’s lead to just three with under 10 minutes left, and Fears took it upon himself to put the team on his back. He was jawing a bit with North Carolina players, and that seemed to motivate him as he exuded confidence for the remainder of the game. Fears was no longer driving and dishing, but he was driving and scoring, and even pulling up for mid-range jumpers.
Arguably the nail in the coffin was a Fears 3-pointer and-one. The momentum was already on the Spartans’ side, but that play felt like a killshot.
That wasn’t the last we saw from Fears either. He went on to score almost every time down the floor, finishing with a game-high 19 points and seven assists on 8-of-10 shooting. He channeled his inner Cassius Winston and took over, leaving no doubt on the scoreboard.
On Thursday night, Fears went from a really good point guard to a great one. He may not always be a scoring threat, but he’s improving drastically in that regard, and he’s the best passer in college basketball right now. Fears is playing at an All-American level, and it feels like Tom Izzo has himself yet another elite program-changing point guard.
Fears has gone from good to great, and he’s about to join an exclusive list:
- Mateen Cleaves
- Drew Neitzel
- Kalin Lucas
- Denzel Valentine
- Cassius Winston
- Jeremy Fears Jr.
All of those guys played point guard (Valentine could play multiple positions) at an elite level for Izzo, and each of them also made at least one Final Four in their careers. Fears is next.