It’s prediction season, which means that Michigan State basketball fans are sharing their boldest predictions for the upcoming season.
Well, bold predictions about the Spartans aren’t just limited to Michigan State fans.
Analysts and experts have been making predictions about the upcoming season for the past couple of months. Andy Katz is one of those experts, and he posted his top 10 defenders in the country heading into the 2025-26 season, but he forgot a name that Big Ten Network analyst Rapheal Davis made sure he remembers next time: Jeremy Fears Jr.
Davis went on to make a bold prediction about Fears and the upcoming season.
Jeremy Fears Jr. - Preseason DPOY 🗣️ https://t.co/knSsZ9qlq5
— Rapheal Davis (@RaphealDavis3) October 17, 2025
Honestly, this isn’t even that bold of a prediction, in my opinion. Fears was a willing and effective defender last season as a redshirt freshman, and he’s had a full offseason to get better and more comfortable after coming back from being shot in the leg as a true freshman.
Not only has Fears been working on his offensive game, but you know he’s priding himself on defense. He brought the energy on that end of the floor last season.
If you need proof, all you have to do is go back and watch the first minute of the Michigan game in East Lansing. He made a couple of huge defensive plays and fed off the crowd’s energy, even getting so fired up that Tom Izzo had to pull him aside to tell him to relax.
Fears is going to be an All-Big Ten Defensive Team member this season, in my opinion, but if you ask Davis, he’s going to be the conference’s defensive player of the year.
I like it.