Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. was instrumental in the No. 17 Spartans’ 83-66 win over the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats in the Champions’ Classic on Tuesday evening. Fears tallied eight points, six rebounds, and 13 assists in 31 minutes of action at Madison Square Garden.
Fears is averaging 10.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and a career-best 10.3 assists per game for Michigan State this season.
Jeremy Fears Jr. Gets Praise From MSU Legend
After his impressive playmaking performance against Kentucky, Fears got widespread praise from both fans and analysts, and even MSU legend Magic Johnson chipped in with an effusive post on X.
“I love what I saw tonight from my MSU Spartans men’s basketball team. We beat Kentucky 83-66, another win over a top 25 team following a victory over Arkansas on Nov. 8th,” Johnson tweeted.
“We were 50% from the three-point line, hitting 11 total, and the biggest reason we won. Jeremy Fears had 13 assists, Jaxon Kohler scored 20 points, and Kur Teng added 15 points off the bench.”
The Michigan State alum was specifically impressed with Fears’ playmaking abilities.
“Michigan State’s victory over Kentucky last night was impressive because they dominated the boards!” Johnson said in a later post. “Defensively, MSU was more physical than the Wildcats and they shared the basketball offensively. Last but not least, MSU’s point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. did a great job of controlling the tempo of the game in the 83-66 win!”
Fears has been the linchpin for Tom Izzo’s unbeaten team this season, and during his postgame news conference, the Michigan State coach lavished praise on the guard for his complete performance against Kentucky.
EXCLUSIVE: Tom Izzo spoke with @GoodmanHoops after tonight’s BIG Champions Classic win 👀
“These guys did their homework. Tonight it was time to take the test.”
🎥: https://t.co/tdMz5nPG0Y pic.twitter.com/fYXnTKKEQs
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) November 19, 2025
“He (Fears) guards, he does the things he’s gotta do,” Izzo said. “He really did a good job after the first five-six minutes, when he wasn’t as good. Kind of taking the team in the huddles, he was great. That was impressive. I don’t give out flowers as you say, I give him a whole bouquet.”
According to OptaStats, Fears is the first player in Division I history since Oklahoma State’s Doug Gottlieb in the 1999-2000 season to register nine-plus assists in each game while leading his team to a 4-0 start to the season.
Fears Invites Pressure of Playing for MSU
During a news conference before the Spartans faced the Arkansas Razorbacks, Fears revealed that he thrived under the pressure to win under Izzo.
“I think that’s why I came here. You know, just the fact of being a point guard and knowing coaches are hard on point guards. I don’t think it’s pressure. I love it,” Fears said. “Our best job is to represent the program, the people that came before us, and, you know, the name of Michigan State.”
Fears was granted a medical redshirt in 2023Â after he was shot in the leg on December 23. He made his return to the team last season and led the Spartans to a 30-7 record, including the Big Ten regular season title and a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
