We’re less than a month away from March Madness, and that means another Michigan State run at a potential Final Four is approaching. The Spartans are currently projected to be a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament, but there’s plenty of time to improve that seeding.
Michigan State was projected as a 2-seed just a couple of weeks ago, but after two straight losses, that changed. The Spartans fell two seed lines after their recent skid.
After rebounding with a clutch overtime win over Illinois, Michigan State is trending back in the right direction, sliding back up a line. I think the Spartans have a legit chance to finish with a 2-seed, but they’ll have to beat some really good teams down the stretch.
They can do it because they have one of the best players in the country leading the way.
Jeremy Fears has been considered a legitimate Big Ten Player of the Year candidate, and now he’s being mentioned in the national player of the year conversation.
In fact, Fears was one of 20 college basketball players named to the Wooden Award late midseason watchlist.
The 20 names on the Wooden Award Late Midseason watchlist: pic.twitter.com/bwWbXtf9l3
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) February 10, 2026
Fears is one of just five Big Ten players to make the midseason watchlist, joining Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan), Braden Smith (Purdue), Bennett Stirtz (Iowa), and Keaton Wagler (Illinois).
Jeremy Fears following Mateen Cleaves’ footsteps
Tom Izzo has constantly compared Fears to Mateen Cleaves because of both his style of play and his leadership ability, and now the sophomore point guard is on track to do something that the Spartan legend and national champion did.
Cleaves won his first Big Ten Player of the Year award as a sophomore in 1997-98, and then followed that up with another as a junior before winning a national title as a senior.
Like Cleaves, Fears is leading the Big Ten in assists as a sophomore, but 9.1 is well ahead of Mateen’s 7.2 which he had during his first conference player of the year season. He is well on pace to follow Mateen and become the Big Ten Player of the Year — maybe defensively, too.
Fears could become the first Michigan State sophomore to win the award since Kalin Lucas back in 2008-09, and third sophomore to win it under Izzo. He may also be the Spartans’ first Big Ten Player of the Year since Cassius Winston in 2018-19.
That’s some elite company. If he stays hot, I don’t see how he doesn’t win it.