Jeremy Fears made Big Ten history on Saturday.
While he had an incredible 17 assists which is tied for second-most in a single game in Michigan State history, he also scored 17 points, which helped him made conference history.
According to ESPN Insights, Fears is the first player in Big Ten history to have 17 points and 17 assists in a single game. It’s hard to believe that’s the case seeing as there have been plenty of elite passers and scorers who have come through the Big Ten, but no one has ever scored 17 with 17 assists in a single game in the history of the league. Crazy.
Jeremy Fears Jr. is the first player in Big Ten history to have 17 points and 17 assists in a game 👏 pic.twitter.com/g1jCvcTV7x
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) January 24, 2026
Fears had been killing it leading up to Saturday’s game, averaging over 17 points and 7.5 rebounds over the previous six appearances — all double-digit wins.
The sophomore point guard out-did himself on Saturday, putting up 17 and 17 in a 43-point win. That’s the type of performance that has fans thinking about Mateen Cleaves and Cassius Winston when they picture Fears’ future in the green and white.
He compares favorably to the previous Spartan point guard legends during their sophomore seasons.
Jeremy Fears can lead this team to a national title
The preseason concerns for this team were limited to a couple of things: team cohesion and shooting.
Through 20 games, those are no longer concerns as the Spartans are shooting over 35 percent from 3-point range, and the team is playing as well as it has all season. They’re all playing for each other, and it’s refreshing to see better all-around teams over the past two seasons because that team chemistry has been through the roof.
At the forefront of it all is Fears who’s been leading by example and holding himself and teammates accountable when mistakes are made. He’s Tom Izzo’s ideal player-coach who’s cut from the same cloth as Mateen, Kalin Lucas, and Cassius.
Before this season, no one really knew if Fears was going to take that next step and become an elite player, and he has done just that. He’s one of the best point guards in the country.
Fears can absolutely lead this talented team to a national title.