Tom Izzo is in the spotlight this week as he gears up for one of the most significant matchups of his coaching career: a Sweet 16 showdown between 3-seed Michigan State and 2-seed UConn, led by Dan Hurley. With a potential ninth Final Four appearance on the line, Izzo's Spartans are in a position to capitalize on a wide-open field, despite heavyweights like Duke, Michigan, and Arizona looming large.
Key to Michigan State's success is redshirt sophomore Jeremy Fears Jr., who has been turning heads with his leadership on the court. During a recent appearance on the "Up and Adams" podcast with Kay Adams, Izzo was asked if Fears was doing things even Magic Johnson hadn’t done. Izzo chuckled at the notion but acknowledged the qualities that define legendary leadership, as exemplified by Magic and Mateen Cleaves.
Izzo emphasized that true leadership elevates those around you. "Magic and Mateen were the best because they made everyone better," Izzo noted. He praised Fears for his progress, while humorously suggesting that he aims to keep the young star grounded despite the accolades.
Fears is certainly making his mark statistically. With an average of 15.3 points per game, he's close to Mateen Cleaves' career-high of 16.1. His 9.4 assists per game surpass Cleaves' best of 7.2, and his shooting from deep stands at just over 32 percent, edging past Cleaves' career average.
While Mateen may lead in steals, Fears has the upper hand in rebounds, field goal percentage, and free throw percentage. If he continues on this trajectory for another year or two, Fears could very well join the conversation alongside Michigan State's all-time greats.
As the Spartans prepare for their crucial clash with UConn, all eyes will be on Fears to see if he can lead his team to glory and etch his name in Michigan State history.