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Michigan State's trip to the Sweet 16 was buoyed by point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who drove the offense in the Spartans ' 77-69 win over Louisville on Saturday.
Fears has been the Spartans' engine all year, distributing the ball on a record pace since the beginning of the season. The Spartans point guard, however, also provided his share of controversial moments, as he may have crossed the line several times in 2025-26.
As Michigan State continues to advance in the NCAA Tournament, Fears' time in the spotlight will only continue, as he hopes to become the next Michigan State point guard to take the Spartans to the Final Four. Here's what you need to know about Jeremy Fears Jr.
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Who is Jeremy Fears Jr.?
Jeremy Fears Jr. is Michigan State's point guard and is considered to be the Spartans' best player. Fears is a true point guard, as he put up a record number of assists, including becoming the first player in program history to surpass 300 assists in a single season.
However, Fears is also known for crossing the line at times during games, as he has had several controversial plays throughout the year.
HISTORY OF UPSETS BY SEED:
16 vs. 1 | 15 vs. 2 | 14 vs. 3 | 13 vs. 4 | 12 vs. 5
Jeremy Fears Jr. stats vs. Louisville
- Minutes: 37
- Points: 12
- Assists: 16
- Rebounds: 3
- FGM-FGA: 3-13
- FTM-FTA: 5-7
Fears produced his second-straight NCAA Tournament game with at least 10 assists, becoming the first Big Ten player to do so officially in the first two games. Magic Johnson did that in four-straight games in the late 1970s, although that is an unofficial stat.
Jeremy Fears Jr. makes Big Ten history after recording his second straight game with 10 assists in this year's NCAA Tournament 🔥
Magic Johnson had four consecutive games for Michigan State in 1979, although unofficial. pic.twitter.com/TtC4gLpi36
Additionally, Fears' 16 assists broke Magic Johnson's unofficial mark of 14 for the most in an NCAA tournament game in program history.
Fears breaks Magic Johnson's MSU record for assists in the NCAA Tournament with his 15th, a breakaway lob to Cooper for an oop. Spartans up 72-59.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) March 21, 2026SN AWARDS: All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year
Jeremy Fears Jr. college stats
| Years | Games | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
| 2023-24 | 12 | 15.3 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 50.0% | 16.7% | 64.7% |
| 2024-25 | 36 | 23.7 | 7.2 | 2.1 | 5.4 | 1.1 | 39.7% | 34.2% | 73.0% |
| 2025-26 | 33 | 32.3 | 15.4 | 2.4 | 9.2 | 1.2 | 44.3% | 32.4% | 89.4% |
Fears is in his third season with Michigan State, and has steadily improved in each season. This year, Fears put up career-high numbers across the board, which includes a Big Ten leading 9.2 assists per game.
In fact, Fears' 9.2 assists per game is the most in Michigan State history, surpassing Magic Johnson's mark of 8.4 in 1978-79.
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Is Jeremy Fears Jr. related to Jeremiah Fears?
Jeremy Fears Jr. is Jeremiah Fears' older brother, even though Jeremiah entered the draft before Jeremy. When Jeremiah was drafted, Jeremy said that it was motivation for him to get his name called as well.
"It's great. Just excited, happy that his dreams were able to come true, one of his goals," Fears Jr. said, via 247 Sports. "It makes me grind and push harder. That's somewhere I want to be, that's something I want to have, I want my name to be called. So that's just a situation that makes me go 10 times harder."
When was Jeremiah Fears drafted?
Jeremiah Fears was drafted No. 7 overall in the 2025 NBA draft out of Oklahoma by the New Orleans Pelicans. In his rookie season thus far, Fears is averaging 13.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 71 games.
Jeremy Fears NBA Draft projection
Jeremy Fears Jr. is projected as a late-second round draft pick, if not an undrafted player. While Jeremiah became a lottery pick after just one season at Oklahoma, the NBA doesn't view Jeremy in the same light, with the point guard not expected to go high in the draft.
Jeremy Fears height
Jeremy Fears Jr. is listed at 6-2 and 190 pounds, making him one of the smaller players on the Michigan State roster. Fears will have to find a way to overcome his size issues to make it in the NBA.
Jeremy Fears age
Fears Jr. is 20 years old and will turn 21 in April. He is just a year and six months older than his brother, Jeremiah.
Jeremy Fears Jr. history of on-court controversies
During the 2025-26 season, Fears Jr. has found himself at the center of several controversies regarding dirty plays. On several occasions, the Michigan State point guard was caught kicking another player in the groin or trying to trip an opponent.
Jeremy Fears. pic.twitter.com/ArnjHNpqwN
— The Winged Helmet (@TWH_Chris) February 5, 2026Dusty May was asked today about a play where Jeremy Fears Jr. appeared to trip Yaxel Lendeborg. “Appeared?” he asked.
Said there are “several plays that are very dangerous” from the game and “the film’s there. 40 minutes of it. It’s not hard to find.”
pic.twitter.com/gOYx0NQL9L
Jeremy Fears just did it again… pic.twitter.com/2u52vnnPB1
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 8, 2026d
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