From overlooked prospect to Wooden Award contender, Jeremy Fears Jr. now dominates scoring and ignites debate with his relentless "anything to win" mentality.
Jeremy Fears Jr. came to Michigan State ranked No. 32 in the 2023 class — respected, sure. Hyped? Not exactly. No marching band. No five-star parade.
Now?
He’s one of the 20 names on the John R. Wooden Award Late Midseason Watch List — college basketball’s VIP section. Not just Big Ten Player of the Year whispers anymore. We’re talking national Player of the Year conversations. The kind of air usually reserved for blue-blood royalty and lottery picks.
That’s not hype.
That’s earned.
The John R. Wooden Award is handed out annually to the most outstanding men’s and women’s college basketball players in the country. It’s the gold standard. The Heisman of hardwood. Established for men in 1977 and expanded to women in 2004, it recognizes the absolute best of the best — not just stats, but impact.
And Jeremy Fears Jr. is now officially in that room.
Early in the season, Fears was the conductor. The point guard who made sure the orchestra hit every note. He led the league in assists for much of the opening stretch and currently sits back atop the nation at 9.1 assists per game. He didn’t need to score — he needed to steer.
But over the last month?
He’s kicked the door down.
Fears has gone from distributor to destroyer. He’s averaging 19.5 points over his last 12 games and an even louder 24 points per game over his last four. The vision never left. The passing never dipped. He just added a scoring flamethrower to the toolkit.
He’s put the team on his back and basically said, “Fine. I’ll do it myself.”
And Michigan State has followed.
Now — about that “anything to win” mentality.
The last week hasn’t exactly been quiet. Opposing fans, players, even coaches have pointed fingers. Words like “dirty” started floating around after a few trips and nudges that didn’t look so friendly in real time. That’s not a label you often hear attached to an Izzo team. Tom Izzo’s programs are built on toughness — not cheap shots — and respect is non-negotiable in East Lansing.
Fears didn’t dodge it.
After the overtime win over Illinois, he owned up. Addressed it head on. Even after one play was challenged by the Illinois head coach suggesting a trip — a review that showed no foul — Fears handled it with poise. No deflection. No attitude. Just maturity.
That’s growth.
And growth has kind of been his thing.
Because let’s not forget — basketball isn’t the hardest thing Jeremy Fears has had to overcome.
On December 23, 2023, while home on holiday break in Joliet, Illinois, Fears was shot. He underwent a three-hour surgery to remove a bullet from his left thigh. The season was over before it ever started.
A year later, he was back for Michigan State’s 2024 opener on November 4.
From hospital bed to Wooden Watch List in less than two years.
Perspective hits a little different when you remember that.
Fears grew up in Joliet, attending Joliet West High School before transferring to La Lumiere in Indiana, then returning home prior to his senior season. He averaged 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists and was named Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year.
He’s always been good.
Now he’s nationally elite.
He’s the lone Spartan on the Top 20 list, but he’s joined by fellow Big Ten standouts Yaxel Lendeborg, Braden Smith, Bennett Stirtz, and Keaton Wagler.
The full Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 includes:
Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas)
Christian Anderson (Texas Tech)
Cameron Boozer (Duke)
Jaden Bradley (Arizona)
AJ Dybantsa (BYU)
Jeremy Fears Jr. (Michigan State)
Kingston Flemings (Houston)
P.J. Haggerty (Kansas State)
Thomas Haugh (Florida)
Graham Ike (Gonzaga)
Joshua Jefferson (Iowa State)
Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan)
Darryn Peterson (Kansas)
Labaron Philon Jr. (Alabama)
Braden Smith (Purdue)
Bennett Stirtz (Iowa)
Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt)
JT Toppin (Texas Tech)
Keaton Wagler (Illinois)
Caleb Wilson (North Carolina)
Jeremy Fears plays like every possession is personal.
He throws his body around. He talks. He competes. He walks that thin line between relentless and reckless — and sometimes people aren’t going to like it.
That’s fine.
He’s the head of the Spartan body. And the body goes where the head leads.
From the No. 32 recruit in his class to one of the top 20 players in the nation. From a three-hour surgery in December to December conversations about the Wooden Award.
He’s going to play the Jeremy Fears way.
And right now, that way has him in elite company.