Michigan and Michigan State basketball faced off on Sunday afternoon in Ann Arbor, and like all the matchups lately, this one was as intense as you’d expect.
And, judging by how the last game went in regards to the treatment of a couple of Jeremy Fears plays, Tom Izzo knew that his point guard was going to be under a microscope against the Wolverines in the rematch.
It was a fairly back-and-forth affair, but it was a highly competitive showdown between top-10 teams in Ann Arbor.
It didn’t come without some controversy, however. As we all know, the sophomore point guard is known for being in the headlines for questionable reasons because he’s had some mental lapses that can be considered “dirty”. He had another one of those plays on Sunday afternoon that drew a major reaction.
While controlling the ball near the sideline, Fears was fouled by Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau who reached in and forced the Spartan point guard’s momentum to move forward and, unfortunately, he flailed his leg a little too far and it earned him a technical foul.
That play gave Michigan a four-point possession and it extended a long run for the Wolverines as they doubled up the Spartans early on.
Izzo was asked about the foul that was reviewed and ruled a technical on Fears, and he wasn’t thrilled with it, stating that what has happened this year has put an extra microscope on him, and he said that he didn’t see anything egregious.
"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
This is why Izzo has such good relationships with his players — he’s always in their corner. He will likely have a chat with Fears again and let him know that he has to be smarter, especially when he knows that there are going to be a ton of eyes on him from here on out. He needs to chill on the extra stuff like this to draw more fouls.
Fears has admittedly been good since that Minnesota incident, and he needs to shake this one off and not let it get in his head.
Izzo’s going to bat for Fears, and you have to respect that, especially since I think this was kind of a nothing moment. Dumb play, but nothing egregious.