MSU's Jeremy Fears Jr. Was Able to Improve 'Mentally' as an Observer Last Season

Michigan State men's basketball point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. used his time off the court as an opportunity to grow "mentally" last season.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. cheers for his teammates during the second half in the game against Penn State on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

Michigan State men's basketball point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. highly-aniticipated freshman season was unfortunately cut short when he suffered a gunshot wound to the leg in December.

While it was a significant setback for Fears and his team, the former four-star recruit made the most of his time on the bench.

Following his 19-point performance at the 2024 Moneyball Pro-Am last Thursday, Fears told reporters that his game developed "mentally" over the course of the 2023 season.

"I did a lot of watching, just being able to watch, see things mentally," he said, "but also physically, I got a lot bigger and got to work with Coach [Dr. Lorenzo] Guess, got to shoot, got to work out, got to do everything and watch and see the good, the bad, some things you should do, you shouldn't do. So, that's really just a learning experience itself."

Now that Fears has fully recovered, he can direct his focus back to the court. He has a whole summer ahead to do so.

"[I want to] really get better at everything," Fears said. "And just really making sure I'm leading, doing everything right, and just try to be the best person I can be."

Fears played just 12 games for the Spartans in his freshman season, averaging 3.5 points per game, 3.3 assists, and 0.8 steals. He averaged 15.3 minutes per game.

Fears was recently given a medical redshirt for last season and now has another year of eligibility.

As a recruit, Fears was the No. 1 class of 2023 prospect in the state of Illinois, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, was ranked the No. 7 point guard in his class and the No. 31 recruit in the nation.

Fears wasn't able to experience a full first season with the Spartans, but expanding his knowledge of the game might just make him better for his second season. With all the turnover in the program, Fears will be expected to be a leader for the newcomers.

The Spartan faithful should be excited for what's in store for the young Fears, whose college career is still just getting started.

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