The Jeremy Fears Jr. situation is getting a little sticky for Tom Izzo and Michigan State. While the goal is to obviously get Fears to the NBA, no one expected that it might happen this soon.
Fears had a strong redshirt freshman season, leading Michigan State to a Big Ten title and to the Elite Eight, but he didn’t have much of an offensive bag outside of nifty passing and running the fastbreak. He fixed that in 2025-26 by averaging over 15 points per game and he led the nation in assists per game (9.4). He showed that he can be an offensive weapon.
The sophomore point guard is going through he draft process and the NBA Combine opened some people’s eyes. The All-American looks like a legit pro.
While many still believe that he returns for his junior season, Fears is working to improve that draft stock and potential slide into the latter part of the first round. I haven’t seen any mocks with him as a first-rounder, but like Fears’ dad said: don’t put too much stock into mock drafts.
That statement is proving to hold a lot of weight seeing as Fears reportedly had several workouts with NBA teams and out of the three that he’s had, he excelled in two.
🚨 According to a source, Jeremy Fears Jr. has participated in three private NBA workouts, excelling in two. His IQ and control of pace have impressed scouts. With more workouts scheduled, it seems Jeremy could be a late 1st to early 2nd round pick if he opts for the NBA draft.
— Rapheal Davis (@RaphealDavis3) May 20, 2026
The source here could obviously be Fears, his dad, or his agent, but it’s important to note that he’s getting these private workouts with teams and more are on the horizon. Teams are showing interest and all it takes is one to promise him a pick in the first round and he’s likely gone.
Again, if I had to guess, I’d say that he returns for his junior season and the past month has been his way of telling fans that he’s good enough to go pro and isn’t a lock to come back.
That’s the hope at least.
Michigan State fans have to back their guy
I have seen a lot of Michigan State fans taking the time to bash Fears’ game by saying that he’s not good enough yet and he’s too small or can’t shoot, but if he’s excelling during private workouts with teams, all you can do is tip your cap if he’s able to fight his way into the first round.
At that point, you can’t blame him for wanting to take the leap.
Yes, it would obviously put a major damper on the upcoming season if Fears were to decide to remain in the draft and go in the late first or early second round, but Carlos Medlock Jr. is a more than capable point guard. Obviously no one wanted to throw him into the fire this early, but he’s coming in as a freshman more than prepared for a large role.
If Fears does decide to leave a year or two early and chase his NBA dream, that’s something that will need Spartan fans’ support and you simply cannot blame him at that point.
He ultimately has to do what’s best for him.
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