Gophers Upset No. 10 Michigan State Amid Controversy Surrounding Jeremy Fears
Minnesota pulled off a gritty, emotional upset over No. 10 Michigan State on Wednesday night, but the final score wasn’t the only thing making headlines. The game at Williams Arena-better known as “The Barn”-was as much about the Gophers’ resilience as it was about Spartans point guard Jeremy Fears, whose on-court behavior continues to raise eyebrows across the Big Ten.
Fears, one of the nation’s top assist men, is now drawing attention for all the wrong reasons. Just days after Michigan head coach Dusty May called him out for questionable conduct in a rivalry game, Fears found himself under the microscope again-this time for a series of physical incidents involving Minnesota guard Langston Reynolds.
The most notable moment came with just over 13 minutes left in the second half. Reynolds was initially whistled for a foul, but Minnesota head coach Niko Medved challenged the call.
Replay showed Fears kicking Reynolds below the belt, leading to a Class A technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Gophers, already ahead 45-40, capitalized with two free throws from Cade Tyson to stretch the lead to seven.
That swing was more than just a momentum shift-it was a turning point in a game that Minnesota had been scrapping to control.
“Are they baiting him? Well, of course, when something like that goes public, it’s going to happen,” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said postgame.
“But it’s his fault. I’m not making excuses.
I sat him for a while, and I don’t know if I’ll start him next game.”
Izzo’s frustration was clear, and it wasn’t just about the loss. Fears’ actions have now become a storyline that’s following him from game to game. And in a conference as unforgiving as the Big Ten, that kind of attention can be costly.
A Signature Win for Minnesota
While the Fears controversy grabbed headlines, the Gophers earned every bit of their upset win. For Medved and his squad, it wasn’t just about beating a top-10 team-it was about validating the work they’ve been putting in during a tough stretch of the season.
Minnesota came into the night riding a seven-game losing streak, a skid that included two overtime heartbreakers and a pair of buzzer-beaters. But against the Spartans, the Gophers found a way to finish.
Postgame, Medved walked into the press conference soaked-drenched by his players in a celebratory locker room moment. He was smiling, towel in hand, grateful the postgame shower wasn’t Powerade.
“This win, it’s about belief,” Medved said. “Belief in what we’re building, belief in each other. Our culture is strong, and this is the path forward.”
The win was Minnesota’s first over a top-10 opponent since 2021 and their third ranked win of the season. They previously knocked off No.
22 Indiana in early December and No. 19 Iowa in January.
Now sitting at 11-12 overall and 4-8 in the Big Ten, the Gophers are showing signs of life when many had counted them out.
Crocker-Johnson Bounces Back in a Big Way
One of the biggest reasons Minnesota pulled off the upset? Jaylen Crocker-Johnson.
The junior forward/center had been hard on himself after Sunday’s loss to Penn State-a game where the Nittany Lions, previously winless in conference play, edged the Gophers 77-75. Crocker-Johnson called his own performance “awful,” and Medved initially echoed that sentiment before softening his stance after reviewing the tape.
But there was no need for critique on Wednesday. Crocker-Johnson responded with one of his best games of the season, pouring in a game-high 22 points and grabbing seven boards in 34 minutes.
“If you want to be great, you don’t blame, you don’t pout-you respond,” Medved said. “All the great ones I’ve ever been around, that’s what they do. And he’s no different.”
Crocker-Johnson’s energy and presence in the paint helped neutralize Michigan State’s size advantage and gave Minnesota a much-needed interior scoring option.
Defying the Odds-Statistically and Emotionally
This wasn’t just a win-it was a statistical anomaly. According to Opta Stats, Minnesota became the only Division I team in the last 30 seasons to win a game despite recording zero bench points, getting out-rebounded by double digits (39-23), and allowing 50-plus points in a half (52). Teams that previously checked all three of those boxes were 0-25, losing by an average of 21.7 points.
But the Gophers flipped the script. They didn’t just survive-they found a way to win.
Next up, Minnesota hosts Maryland on Sunday. The Terps are struggling at 8-13 overall and 1-9 in Big Ten play, but the Gophers know better than to overlook anyone in this league.
For now, though, Minnesota can enjoy a well-earned moment of belief. And as for Michigan State, the questions surrounding Jeremy Fears won’t be going away anytime soon.