Michigan State basketball is off to its best start in over a decade, and the buzz in East Lansing is starting to feel real. The Spartans are 7-0 to open the season - their strongest start since the 2013-14 campaign - and they’ve earned every bit of that record.
Wins over three ranked opponents - Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina - have turned heads nationally, and with matchups against Iowa and No. 4 Duke on deck, the real tests are just beginning.
At the heart of this early-season surge is sophomore point guard Jeremy Fears, who has not only become the engine of Tom Izzo’s offense but is playing like one of the best floor generals in the country. Fears is doing it all - scoring efficiently, rebounding, defending, and most notably, distributing the basketball at an elite level.
He’s currently averaging 9.7 assists per game, tops in the nation, and it’s not just about the numbers - it’s how he’s doing it. Fears is reading defenses like a veteran, consistently putting teammates in the right spots, and making the game easier for everyone around him.
Statistically, Fears is in the midst of a breakout season. He’s putting up career highs across the board: 12.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 9.7 assists, 1.7 steals per game, while shooting a blistering 50% from the field and an even more impressive 47.1% from beyond the arc.
That kind of production - especially from a point guard - is the stuff that gets you noticed on a national level. And it has.
Jamie Shaw of On3 recently placed Fears at No. 10 on his list of National Player of the Year candidates through the first five weeks of the season.
But to really appreciate what Fears is doing now, you have to understand where he’s come from.
Fears arrived in East Lansing as part of the 2023 recruiting class, alongside fellow standout Coen Carr. As a freshman, Fears showed flashes of potential in a limited role - 12 games off the bench, averaging 3.5 points and 3.3 assists.
But his season was abruptly and tragically cut short. While home in Joliet, Illinois, over Christmas break, Fears was shot in the leg.
The injury ended his freshman season and raised serious questions about his basketball future.
He was granted a medical redshirt, and what’s followed has been nothing short of remarkable. Fears didn’t just return - he came back stronger, more focused, and more determined. Now a starter in every game this season, he’s taken full control of the offense and emerged as the clear leader of a team with real aspirations.
Tom Izzo, who’s coached his share of great point guards, hasn’t been shy about how highly he thinks of Fears. He’s even drawn comparisons between Fears and Mateen Cleaves - the legendary Spartan who led Michigan State to a national title in 2000.
That’s not a name Izzo throws around lightly. And while Fears still has a long way to go to match Cleaves’ legacy, his trajectory is pointing in that direction.
The Spartans still have a gauntlet ahead - Big Ten play looms, and the matchup with Duke is circled in red. But with Jeremy Fears running the show, Michigan State is playing with confidence, purpose, and a little bit of swagger.
This isn’t just a hot start. It’s the look of a team that believes it can do something special - and a point guard who’s proving he just might be the one to lead them there.