WATCH: Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. Speaks After Win Over New Mexico
CLEVELAND, Ohio-- On a night when Michigan State needed to grind out its possessions, Spartan redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. was able to contribute with more than just points.
Fears finished with 5 points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a massive block that helped shift the momentum in the direction of the Spartans.
Fears spoke to the media following the game.
You can watch some of his availability below:
Below is a transcript of Tom Izzo's opening statement from his postgame press conference:
Izzo: "We're going to Atlanta, and all the meals are on you, right, guys?
"Well, opening statement is another team that really, I thought, played well. The first half of that game, that was as good of a barrage as we've had hit us. It wasn't that we were down a lot, 10 points, but it just seemed like we weren't guarding, and they were making shots. Give them credit.
"I thought from about the 9-minute mark on, we did a better job in the first half, and I thought the second half, even though they shot a pretty good percentage, I think -- yeah, 48 percent, I'm not sure anybody has shot that against us.
"They're talented. They're good. They had a kid [Mustapha] Amzil played out of his mind. I thought he had 12 at halftime. He's making 3s; he's doing everything. I thought Jeremy and Jaden [Akins] and Tre [Holloman] all did a good job on [Donovan] Dent, and Dent is a hell of a player.
"But I thought we got our break going when we got our defense going, and we rebounded the ball pretty well.
"I don't know what the final total was, by six, but that's a talented, well-coached team, and I'm just happy we got the win. I'm happy we showed a little character after we got down and weren't playing very well."
While the Spartans didn't have their best performance, the depth and skill helped propel them into the next round.
Michigan State moves on to Izzo's 16th Sweet 16 to play 6-seeded Ole Miss. The matchup will be held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia with an opportunity to move on to the Elite Eight on the line. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:09 p.m.
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Graham, the founder of High School Football Frenzy, covers high school football, hockey, and basketball across the Big Ten. He provides in-depth reports on prospects at all levels and builds strong relationships with coaches and players. Joining the On SI team as a Big Ten Recruiting Beat Writer, Graham brings extensive knowledge of the Big Ten region, recruiting prospects, and high schools.