Michigan State University Athletics
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Jeremy Fears Jr. Selected to Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Late-Season Team
2/19/2026 2:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State men's basketball redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. was selected to the Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Late-Season Team, revealed on Thursday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Fears was one of 30 players nationally selected to the list.
This is one of several honors for Fears, who was one of 20 players selected to the Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award® Men's Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List and one of 10 points guards selected to the Mid-Season Top-10 for the Bob Cousy Award by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Fears has helped lead Michigan State to a 21-5 overall record, including an 11-4 mark in the Big Ten Conference, and the Spartans are ranked No. 15 in the country in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Through 26 games, Fears leads Michigan State in scoring (15.1 ppg), assists (9.3 apg), free throw percentage (90.4%) and minutes played (31.4 mpg). One of the team's four captains, Fears ranks first nationally in assists per game (9.3), total assists (241), No. 3 in assist/turnover ration and No. 17 nationally in free throw percentage.
When Fears handed out 17 assists against Maryland on Jan. 24, it was the second-most in a single game in Michigan State history. He handed out 15 assists in an 85-82 overtime win over then-No. 5 Illinois on Feb. 7, the third-best single-game mark in MSU history, and became the only player in program history to hand out at least 15 assists in two different game. When he handed out 10 assists in an 82-59 win over UCLA on Feb. 17, he became the first major conference player to hand out at least 10 in four-straight games since North Carolina State's Markell Johnson did so in 2018.
His current total of 241 assists ranks tied for the fourth-most in a single season in MSU history, alongside Cassius Winston (241, 2017-18) and Denzel Valentine (241, 2015-16). He needs one more to pass them for fourth place alone and 29 more to pass Earvin Johnson (269, 1978-79) for third all-time.
Michigan State hosts Ohio State on Sunday, Feb. 22 at the Breslin Center. The game tips off at 1 p.m. and will air live on CBS, with Kevin Harlan and Robbie Hummel calling the action.
Fears was one of 30 players nationally selected to the list.
This is one of several honors for Fears, who was one of 20 players selected to the Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award® Men's Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List and one of 10 points guards selected to the Mid-Season Top-10 for the Bob Cousy Award by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Fears has helped lead Michigan State to a 21-5 overall record, including an 11-4 mark in the Big Ten Conference, and the Spartans are ranked No. 15 in the country in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Through 26 games, Fears leads Michigan State in scoring (15.1 ppg), assists (9.3 apg), free throw percentage (90.4%) and minutes played (31.4 mpg). One of the team's four captains, Fears ranks first nationally in assists per game (9.3), total assists (241), No. 3 in assist/turnover ration and No. 17 nationally in free throw percentage.
When Fears handed out 17 assists against Maryland on Jan. 24, it was the second-most in a single game in Michigan State history. He handed out 15 assists in an 85-82 overtime win over then-No. 5 Illinois on Feb. 7, the third-best single-game mark in MSU history, and became the only player in program history to hand out at least 15 assists in two different game. When he handed out 10 assists in an 82-59 win over UCLA on Feb. 17, he became the first major conference player to hand out at least 10 in four-straight games since North Carolina State's Markell Johnson did so in 2018.
His current total of 241 assists ranks tied for the fourth-most in a single season in MSU history, alongside Cassius Winston (241, 2017-18) and Denzel Valentine (241, 2015-16). He needs one more to pass them for fourth place alone and 29 more to pass Earvin Johnson (269, 1978-79) for third all-time.
Michigan State hosts Ohio State on Sunday, Feb. 22 at the Breslin Center. The game tips off at 1 p.m. and will air live on CBS, with Kevin Harlan and Robbie Hummel calling the action.
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