Michigan State has spent the last few seasons producing plenty of standout moments, but now the Spartans are getting a preseason crown for the player running the show. CBS Sports has named point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. its 2026-27 Preseason Player of the Year, a nod to the kind of leap he made after a season in which he controlled the game for Tom Izzo’s team.
That recognition fits the trajectory Fears has been on. A former McDonald’s All-American, he arrived in East Lansing with expectations, then spent most of his first season in 2023-24 recovering from a gunshot wound.
In his second year, he was still sharing the backcourt spotlight. Last season, with Michigan State replacing its top-three scorers from a 30-win team, Izzo needed more from his floor general.
Fears delivered in a big way.
He finished as the Spartans’ leading scorer at 15.2 points per game and led the nation with 9.4 assists per contest. CBS Sports also named him a third-team All-American after he guided Michigan State to a 27-8 record and a Sweet 16 appearance.
Now the challenge shifts from breakout to follow-up. Fears is already one of the nation’s best pick-and-roll guards, and there’s still room for him to climb.
His perimeter shooting remains a swing skill after he hit 32.1% of his 3-pointers on 3.1 attempts per game last season. Improve there, and defenses can’t so easily go under screens.
That would crack open more driving space and make life easier for teammates once he gets into the paint.
There’s also work to be done at the rim. Fears shot 52.6% there last season, and a better finish around the basket would make his dump-off game even more dangerous. For a player already distributing at an elite level, that’s a scary thought for the Big Ten and everybody else.
Fears’ selection came after CBS Sports ballots also included votes for Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner and Florida senior Thomas Haugh. Tanner, a First Team All-American, could end up with the highest usage rate of any point guard in the country and has added weight that could fuel the best season by any Vanderbilt player ever if everything clicks. Haugh, meanwhile, chose to return to Florida instead of entering the NBA Draft as a likely top-20 pick, giving the Gators another proven piece in a frontcourt that could help him and also spread the spotlight around.
For Michigan State, though, the headline belongs to Fears. Shawn Respert, Draymond Green and Denzel Valentine are the only Spartans to win a National Player of the Year award, and Fears now enters the season with a chance to put himself in that conversation if his game keeps climbing.
In Other News...
Michigan State Heads Into Northwestern With A Defensive Concern Fans Can't Ignore
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There is at least a bit of relief in the update for Michigan State, with NiJhay Burt and Dion Crawford expected back in the lineup. Northwesterns report carries its own uncertainty, with tight end Luke Dehnicke and safety Robert Fitzgerald among the notable players listed as questionable or doubtful, but the Spartans will still be watching closely to see whether their defensive depth can hold up when the game arrives. [Read more 🡒]
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The challenge lands in a game with a few added layers of intrigue, too. Aidan Chiles is set to return to Spartan Stadium, and Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald will be lining up against his former team, giving the matchup a familiar backdrop even as the scheme on the other side looks anything but familiar. For the Spartans, the question is whether they can sort through the unusual looks quickly enough to keep Northwestern from turning a strange offensive plan into a real problem. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Suddenly Has A Depth Problem At The Worst Time
Michigan State is running into the kind of midseason injury pileup every team dreads, and it is arriving at an awkward moment. Heading into Week 7 against Northwestern, the Spartans are dealing with a long list of unavailable players on both sides of the ball, leaving the staff to patch together a lineup that has already taken on plenty of wear.
The problems reach across the roster, with top cornerbacks Tre Bell and Charles Brantley out, linebackers Jordan Hall and Brady Pretzlaff sidelined, running back Cam Edwards unavailable and backup quarterback Cam Fancher also not expected to go. That means Michigan State will have to lean hard on depth pieces just to stay afloat against a Northwestern team led by former Spartan quarterback Aidan Chiles, turning what should have been a routine October week into a test of survival. [Read more 🡒]