MSU Legend Magic Johnson Believes Jeremy Fears Jr. Can Join Long Line of Greats
Michigan State men's basketball point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. was expected to eventually step into the role other great Spartan point guards have held before upon his arrival to Tom Izzo's program.
After missing the majority of his freshman season due to a gunshot wound to the leg last December, Fears has battled back and has looked every bit of what fans had anticipated from him when he first committed to Michigan State.
When it comes to the point guard position, Michigan State has as great a track record as any program in college basketball, having produced names like Mateen Cleaves, Cassius Winston, Scott Skiles, Sam Vincent and of course, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, considered by many to be the greatest floor general to have ever touched a basketball.
Johnson recently discussed Fears' potential as a Spartan point guard, holding the redshirt freshman to quite a high standard.
"When you think about the great point guards that Michigan State has had, it's all about basketball IQ," Johnson told WLNS. "And knowing when to pass, get the guys involved, and then also, when to score. Mateen, you think about Scott Skiles; I can keep going. There's so many guys who have played the position and excelled at the position and helped us become either the Big Ten champions or even making a run at the national championship. We always had solid and outstanding guard play. And Jeremy fits right into that."
Magic Johnson will be in town on Saturday for the Earvin Johnson Sr. Community Car & Truck Show.
— Ian Kress (@ian_kress) August 19, 2024
We caught up with him today to talk about it, as well as other things related to Michigan State.
He said Jeremy Fears Jr. has the 'basketball IQ' to be MSU's next great point guard. pic.twitter.com/IPvpL1CyvG
Johnson's words speak volumes, as the greatest Spartan basketball player to ever live knows better than anyone what a top-tier point guard can do for the program. He believes Fears can be on that level.
With Fears still being as young as he is and only having 12 games of college play under his belt so far, it might take a year for the second-year Spartan to reach his true potential, but he is certainly on the right track.
Fears averaged 3.5 points per game, 3.3 assists and 0.8 steals while seeing 15.3 minutes per contest last season. He was granted a redshirt for last season, giving him an extra year of eligibility.
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