Michigan State Guard Earns Legendary Comparison
Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. wasn't even sure if he would ever play basketball again after suffering a gunshot wound to the leg last December.
But Fears was back on the floor in Michigan State's 2024-25 season opener on Monday, playing 22 minutes in the Spartans' blowout win over Monmouth.
On paper, Fears didn't jump off the page. He logged three points and eight assists while attempting just two shots.
However, his impact on the game was palpable, and he left a lasting impression on Monmouth head coach King Rice, who himself played point guard for Dean Smith at North Carolina.
Ergo, Rice knows a thing or two about being a floor general, so we should probably take his opinion fairly seriously when he said that Fears reminds him of Michigan State legend Mateen Cleaves.
“I've watched Michigan State,” Rice said, via Chris Solari of The Detroit Free Press. “I never got to play against them when I was at Carolina, we didn't play them. But I have some favorites. I'm a big Mateen Cleaves guy, because I watched that young man. He was a point guard that — like the one they have now (Fears) — where everybody says, ‘Well, he doesn't do this and he doesn't do that.’ But he wins, OK?"
That's one hefty compliment.
Cleaves spent four seasons at Michigan State between 1996-97 and 1999-00, leading the Spartans to a national championship in 2000. It represented the second title in Michigan State history, and the Spartans have not won one since.
During that championship-winning campaign, Cleaves averaged 12.1 points, 6.9 assists and 1.4 steals over 31.5 minutes per game on 42.1/37.6/75.6 shooting splits.
Over the course of his career at Michigan State, he logged 12.5 points, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals across 30.6 minutes a night.
Fears obviously has an incredibly long way to go before he can even begin to sniff the amount of success Cleaves experienced at East Lansing, but the fact that he has already landed such a major endorsement from an opposing coach speaks volumes.
Michigan State will battle Niagara on Thursday night.
Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
