Three Stars From Michigan State's Stunning Upset Over Duke

The Spartans not only outlasted Duke on Tuesday night in Chicago at the Champions Classic, but controlled the game from beginning to end. Leading for 39:21 of the 40:00 minutes, Michigan State made a statement on Tuesday.

In a massive 79-73 win over the No. 2-ranked Blue Devils, Michigan State shined on both ends of the floor. A lawless approach led to something resembling a football team playing basketball, and it rocked Duke's world. The Blue Devils simply weren't prepared for what the Spartans were about to throw at them.

Here are the top three stars from Tuesday's stunning Michigan State upset over Duke.

Fears is a top-three star every game, win or loss. He's the best point guard in college basketball, hands down. The floor general for the Spartans continues to dazzle every single game.

Late in the first half, he made a mind-boggling pass. Fears drove through the lane, drawing three Blue Devil defenders, before making an incredible backward pass through the defense to Ethan Taylor. Taylor had to pick his jaw up off the floor after watching Fears' move, but he gathered the ball and laid it in while drawing a foul.

Fears finished the first half with eight assists.

In the second half, it was more of the same. Fears continued to dish the ball with ease, finding the correct player every time. He recorded his double-double with 13 minutes remaining in the game.

He also had a marvelous drive to the basket, putting in a contested layup while drawing a foul to extend the Spartans' lead to 14 points. Fears continued to be the best player on the court all game long.

His vision, paired with a newfound defensive prowess, has propelled Fears into must-watch television. We may be watching one of the best basketball players to ever play the sport.

Fears finished the night with a game-high 18 points and 11 assists as the man who is averaging a double-double continued that run. He also finished second on the team with seven rebounds.

There's nothing else I can say when it comes to Jordan Scott, and I'm only two games into the season.

In the words of Ted Lasso, "He's here, he's there, he's everywhere." I left out an explicit word.

You need a rebound? Scott's got it. You need a drive and dish? He's your man. You need a relentless block? He's got it in droves.

Scott is an NBA-talent player, and it's not because he just makes every shot. Instead, it's because he does everything right and does everything harder, faster and better than almost anyone else on the court. Need a three-pointer? He'll knock it down.

Scott's defense was so tiresome for the Blue Devils that they often just played keep-away from whoever was being guarded by him.

With the game winding down and Duke finally starting to gain momentum, cutting the lead to within five points, it was Scott who made a monstrous drive to the basket to push the lead back to seven. He then came up with a beastly rebound on the defensive end during the ensuing Duke possession.

Scott finished with a team-high nine rebounds.

Cam Ward has really been trying to find his rhythm, dating back to the very beginning of last year. But in a game like Tuesday night's, Ward's animalistic play was reborn.

He brought high-intensity defense, a powerful slam off a fantastic alley-oop from Jeremy Fears and an aggressive presence on the glass, even ripping the ball away from his own teammates. He was in a tunnel, and no one could get in his way.

Late in the first half, Ward received a pass from Fears as he broke down the lane. Ward gathered the ball, drew a foul and buried a strong, contested layup. On the next possession, he again drove through the lane and became the first player to reach double digits with 11 points in the first half alone.

The second half was a bit quieter for Ward, but when the Spartans needed a shot to really put the nail in the coffin, Ward was the guy.

Receiving a pass from Jervis, Ward knocked down a strong layup while drawing a foul. He completed the three-point play and gave Michigan State a 13-point lead with just under five minutes remaining.

Ward finished second on the team with 14 points and third with six rebounds.

Jasiah Jervis

Jervis exploded onto the scene with his four-three-pointer performance in the Spartans' last game, and that momentum carried over into Michigan State's third game of the season.

Jervis hit his first two shots, one from just inside the arc and the other from just outside it. With the Spartans up by only nine points and five minutes remaining, Jervis got the ball and pulled off a clinical step-back three-pointer, draining it to push Michigan State's lead to 12.

That shot also pushed Jervis into double digits against Duke in just his third collegiate game.

Carlos Medlock Jr.

The second half was dominated by a freshman, and his name was Carlos Medlock Jr.

With Fears on the bench, you could tell Duke was salivating at the thought of getting back into the game. But it was a top-50 recruit who kept the Spartans' pace.

Medlock drilled multiple huge shots at moments when most freshmen would crumble under the pressure that comes with playing a team like Duke. But not Medlock, who delivered time and time again.

Providing the Spartans with major minutes as the backup point guard in a game of this magnitude was exceptional.