Spartans' Possess Dangerous Duo at Guard Position
The No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (18-2, 9-0) possess one of the most potent backcourts in all of college basketball this season, and it is all being led by two highly skilled young guards. Redshirt freshman Jeremy Fears Jr. and true freshman Jase Richardson have taken over in the Big Ten.
In Tuesday night's home win over the Minnesota Gophers, Fears and Richardson combined for a wildly impressive stat that was a major factor in the victory. Spartans coach Tom Izzo was interviewed on Peacock's postgame show and broke down the stat that made the pairing so successful.
"Big big stat right now is Jeremy and Jase, 14 assists and one turnover," Izzo said. Jase made some great plays down the stretch, very unselfish."
14 assists and one turnover is extremely impressive, especially for a Spartan program that has been famous for turning the ball over at a high clip. Seemingly, the two freshman standouts are always making the right pass, prioritizing ball security, and executing the smart plays when presented to them.
The Spartans are the No. 2 team in the conference in assists per game (18.4), with Fears and Richardson leading the charge. A lot of credit goes to junior guard Tre Holloman, who has been just as good, averaging 3.9 assists per game with 17 in his last four contests.
Richardson is making a case for Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year while Fears ranks third amongst all conference players in assists per game (6.3). He has a total of 41 assists in his past six games, which is downright incredible. Richardson had a career-high eight against the Gophers on Tuesday.
Both first-year guards are averaging seven or more points per game which makes their distribution skills even deadlier. Defenders must respect their scoring ability, which presents opportunities to dish the rock and find an even better shot for one of the many scorers that this Spartan team possesses.
The dynamic guard duo will look to continue their success this weekend as they travel to Los Angeles for a pair of West Coast conference contests. They will start with the USC Trojans (12-8. 4-5) on Saturday afternoon and finish up with the UCLA Bruins (15-6, 6-4) next Tuesday.
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.
