Jeremy Fears Jr. is piling up preseason recognition so fast it’s starting to feel routine.
The Michigan State point guard was named Blue Ribbon College Basketball’s preseason National Player of the Year, the latest in a growing stack of honors as the 2026-27 season nears. It also makes him the first Spartan to earn that distinction from Blue Ribbon since Mateen Cleaves in 2000.
That kind of attention naturally brings the bigger question: is Fears already carrying more preseason hype than anyone should?
It’s a fair debate, but it starts with what he actually did last season. The redshirt junior put together a huge 2025-26 campaign, averaging 15.2 points and 9.4 assists per game. That assist number led the nation, and his 328 total assists set a Michigan State single-season record.
Fears’ production helped push Michigan State to a 27-8 finish and a Sweet Sixteen appearance, while also earning him a spot on the John R. Wooden Award All-America Team and several other All-America honors.
So the buzz is real. This isn’t a case of projection outrunning performance.
Michigan State’s situation only adds to it. Tom Izzo returns important pieces and brings in another well-regarded recruiting class, giving the Spartans a roster that enters the season with serious expectations. Coen Carr, Jordan Scott, Cam Edwards, Anton Bonke and Kaleb Glenn are all expected to play meaningful roles alongside Fears.
And then there’s the setting. The 2027 Final Four will be played in Detroit, with the national semifinals and championship game at Ford Field. Little Caesars Arena will host the Midwest Regional, giving Michigan State fans a very real dream of a deep run close to home.
That’s the backdrop for Fears, and it’s a lot to put on one player’s shoulders.
The challenge now isn’t proving he belongs in the conversation. He already has. It’s handling what comes next: the constant attention, the defensive game plans built around him and the pressure that comes with being the face of a team expected to win big.
Fears has become the name everybody knows. Now he has to make sure the noise doesn’t get in the way of the same things that made him so valuable in the first place - directing the offense, creating for others and helping set the tone for a Michigan State team that’s expected to lean into the defensive toughness that has long defined Izzo’s program.
The hype is justified.
The real test is living with it.
In Other News...
Izzo Is Betting On A Michigan State Formula Fans Know Well
Tom Izzo has never hidden where he stands on roster building, and this fall he sounded like a coach comfortable leaning into the approach that long defined Michigan State basketball. Rather than chasing the transfer portal as his primary fix, Izzo has preferred bringing in players straight out of high school and then molding them over time, a formula Spartans fans have seen work before. This years roster reflects that balance, with one transfer joining a highly ranked recruiting class as Michigan State tries to mix youthful upside with some added experience.
It is a familiar-looking bet, and one that carries the usual questions about how quickly newcomers can settle in and how much patience the team will need early. The Spartans will get their first public look on October 2, when they open exhibition play against Incarnate Word, giving Izzo and his new group an early chance to show how well the pieces fit before the season starts to matter for real. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State May Have Found An Offense Defenses Hate Preparing For
Michigan State has leaned into a dual-quarterback setup with Cam Sheridan and Les Fancher, a wrinkle designed to make the offense harder to sort out from week to week. The coaching staff has framed the arrangement as complementary rather than competitive, with both quarterbacks capable of running the system while bringing different skill sets to the table.
For a defense, that can mean extra prep and fewer clean tells before the snap, especially when the Spartans are willing to keep both players involved in the plan. Pat Fitzgerald and the players have talked about the approach in practical terms, and the early results suggest Michigan State is trying to build something versatile enough to keep opponents guessing even before the game starts. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Faces Early Depth Concerns Before Nebraska Opener
Michigan State heads into its Big Ten opener against Nebraska carrying a thinner roster than it would like, a reality that always looms a little larger in September when teams are still trying to sort out roles and stay healthy. The matchup is set for Saturday at Spartan Stadium and will air on the Big Ten Network, but the bigger storyline for the Spartans may be simply getting enough bodies ready to handle the start of conference play.
The injury list already includes six players ruled out, and the concern does not stop there, with three more Spartans still listed as questionable. For a team trying to steady itself against a Nebraska group that will test depth right away, every unavailable piece matters, especially on a day when the margins tend to tighten and early-season attrition can shape the tone of the league race. [Read more 🡒]