Jeremy Fears Jr. is already being treated like a first-round pick in the 2027 NBA Draft, and for Michigan State, that’s the kind of buzz that usually means one thing: another big season could send him straight to the league.
A year out from that draft, the early projections are starting to take shape, and one college hoops expert has Fears slotted firmly in the first round. Ant Wright’s early 2027 big board lists Fears at No. 24 overall, placing the Michigan State guard ahead of several familiar names from the Big Ten, including Michigan’s Trey McKenney at No.
30, Brandon McCoy at No. 28, Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort at No. 26 and former Michigan State recruiting target Maximo Adams at No.
That kind of placement would make Fears a likely one-and-done after the 2026-27 season if things hold. He already flirted with the 2026 NBA Draft before deciding to return, and that decision came after he went through the process, got feedback from NBA teams and realized he still had more room to grow. He also pointed to Tom Izzo’s loyalty to him, saying he had to return the favor.
The case for Fears getting this kind of draft love is pretty simple: he’s already playing like one of the best guards in the country.
Several college basketball experts have labeled him the best returning player in college basketball, and the numbers back up the hype. He was the nation’s assists per game leader, put up about 15 points per game, defended at a high level in the Big Ten and showed one of the country’s most improved mid-range jumpers. The expectation now is that his shooting only gets better in 2026-27.
That’s why the conversation around Fears has moved beyond whether he belongs in the first round. It’s now about how high he can climb. He’s being talked about as an All-American point guard, a player of the year frontrunner and the engine for a Michigan State team that could be borderline top-five next season.
For a program that already knows what it has in Fears, the 2027 draft chatter is just the latest sign that his stay in East Lansing may not last much longer. If he keeps trending the way he has, the farewell card might not be far behind.
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