Jeremy Fears Jr. has received some serious backlash this season for a couple durty plays, and it is no surprise that he has now been labeled a player who plays like such. Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo has never defended Fears' actions and has always been one of the first to say what he has done is wrong and deal with it internally.
Against Michigan, though, Fears was called for yet another technical foul when, on review, the refs upgraded the call after Fears was seen kicking Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau in the groin. This is not the first time Fears has had a kick like that, and Izzo feels like the refs are now targeting him.
In an interview with CBS Sports reporter Tracy Wolfson at halftime, Izzo didn't place all the blame on Fears.
"You know what, it's because of what happened earlier, and now every microscope's on him," Izzo said. "I don't like that, but I told him I don't even want him breathing wrong."
"It's all because of what happened earlier and now the microscope's on him. And I don't like that."
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 8, 2026
Tom Izzo told @TracyWolfson what he thought of the technical on Jeremy Fears Jr. pic.twitter.com/yxYXs497oM
Tom Izzo doesn't take accountability for Jeremy Fears Jr. and it is causing major backlash
Instead of taking accountability for what Fears was called for, Izoo instead blamed the refs for supposedly having a microscope on him, as in the refs are basically looking for something to call. While Izzo could be right, it was not the right time to call it out in the middle of the game, and Izzo is certainly hearing about it.
Comments under the posted video above are calling out Izoo for not holding Fears accountable for his actions, and it is the reason these plays are still happening. To be fair, Izzo doesn't have a controller on the sideline controlling what his guys are doing on the court, so he can't simply stop Fears from having these fouls.
However, as a competitor as well, Izzo knows Fears needed to be in the game to give the Spartans their best chance at winning. So, while Izzo could have taken a stance and pulled Fears for the play, he instead felt like the call wasn't necessary, and he told Fears he couldn't even breathe wrong.
After the game, Izzo even took it one step further and called out Michigan head coach Dusty May for how he dealt with the dirty plays from his players in the first matchup. While Izzo will take accountability from that game, he feels no one else has, and he is simply over it now.