Jeremy Fears Jr. has been a hot topic in college basketball, but not always for the reasons you’d expect. Sure, his clashes with Michigan and accusations of rough play have drawn comparisons to the likes of Grayson Allen. Yet, much like Allen at Duke or Draymond Green from Michigan State, these controversies have overshadowed Fears' undeniable talent on the court.
Recently named a second-team All-American, Fears is a redshirt sophomore point guard who's been lighting up the stat sheet. With averages of 15.7 points and 9.2 assists per game, along with shooting splits of 45/32/89, his efficiency is hard to ignore. He’s arguably the top passer in college basketball today.
As the tournament kicks off, all eyes will be on Fears as Michigan State faces North Dakota State in the first round. If he continues to shine and potentially leads his team against either UCLA or UCF in the Round of 32, he could shift the narrative and remind casual fans why he’s one of the sport's elite players.
Michigan State’s road to the Final Four is a challenging one, aiming for what would be Tom Izzo’s eighth appearance as head coach. Fears is central to this journey, acting as the driving force for an offense lacking other standout shot-makers.
Fears stands out on his team, being the only player averaging more unassisted field goals than assisted ones. Besides him, only Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper average more than five unassisted points per game.
Despite a moderate usage rate, Michigan State heavily relies on Fears’ playmaking abilities, especially considering his 6-foot-2 frame. He ranks fifth nationally in offensive win shares, trailing only behind Cameron Boozer, Bruce Thornton, Darius Acuff Jr., and Keaton Wagler.
Even with this immense responsibility, Fears excels in ball protection. He leads the country in assist rate by a significant margin and ranks sixth in assist-to-usage ratio. Impressively, he’s one of just four players nationwide with an assist-to-turnover ratio above 4.0 while maintaining a usage rate over 20 percent.
While Arkansas’s Darius Acuff was the sole point guard on the All-American first team, Fears shares the second team with Purdue’s Braden Smith and Illinois’s Keaton Wagler. Although Acuff’s scoring prowess earned him the top spot, Fears makes a strong case as the best ‘true’ point guard in the country. A standout performance in the NCAA Tournament, free from further controversies, could finally earn him the recognition he deserves.