Tom Izzo shares an exciting Jeremy Fears injury update

The Michigan State basketball season is closer than you may realize and nothing says MSU basketball is back like the team having their first practice of the season. That first practice occurred on Monday and with practices beginning that means we finally get to hear from Tom Izzo once again.

There are many things that I am extremely interested in about the team this year, but the one thing at the top of my mind is Jeremy Fears Jr. As you all know, Fears had his season cut short last year after tragically being shot in the leg, but fast forward nearly a year and it seems like he is back to full health.

He looked very healthy during his few appearances this summer at Moneyball and he also looked more than solid during the team's trip to Spain. Now with the season only a month and a half away Izzo shared where he believes Fears is at in his recovery.

Izzo also shared that his explosion is coming along as well which after a leg injury was probably the biggest concern when it came to returning back to basketball playing shape.

I think we all would agree, even those who aren't Michigan State fans, that Fears deserves to have a healthy season this year. Last year he was just beginning to hit his stride when this tragedy struck and while injuries are never fair it truly doesn't get more unfair than that.

Fears now has the chance to not just return to the court but make a major impact on the team. I for one would be shocked if he was not the starting point guard when the season begins, and after seeing him play a few times this offseason I would not be surprised if he took a big leap and became one of the best point guards in the Big Ten.

But at the end of the day the only thing that truly matters is that he is 100 percent healthy, and according to Izzo himself he is almost there.