EAST LANSING, Mich. — Jeremy Fears Jr. played one of his best games to help No. 10 Michigan State earn a much-needed win after his coach thought about benching him.
Fears started the game and finished with 26 points — 11 in OT — and 15 assists in 42 minutes, lifting the Spartans to an 85-82 win over No. 5 Illinois on Saturday night. Fears’ performance came after head coach Tom Izzo had debated whether to discipline the standout point guard after his sportsmanship was called into question in two straight games.
Late in the first half, Fears was scrutinized again. Fighting Illini coach Brad Underwood asked officials to review whether Fears intentionally tripped David Mirkovic after stopping in front of him.
“I didn’t have any worry that it wasn’t a basketball play,” Fears said.
Underwood lost the appeal.
“They looked at it,” Underwood said. “It’s always going to be a judgment. He stopped. It’s what he does.
“He was terrific. We didn’t do a very good job of squaring him up.”
When asked afterward about the play being reviewed, Izzo said, “If he breathes on somebody now, there’s going to be a call.”
Izzo said on the pregame radio show that he doesn’t condone what Fears has done in recent games, adding he hasn’t done anything to merit a suspension.
“He’s remorseful,” Izzo said.
In a 76-73 loss at Minnesota on Wednesday night, Fears swung his leg backward into Langston Reynolds’ groin area after the whistle when Reynolds was called for a foul on Fears. Officials gave Fears a technical on review.
“I had some mistakes that I made in past game that I don’t want to let happen,” Fears said. “I hurt my team.”
In last week’s 83-71 loss to rival and second-ranked Michigan, Fears appeared to intentionally trip preseason All-America forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
The day before facing the Fighting Illini, Izzo said he still was considering benching Fears for at least a portion of the game. Izzo said the redshirt sophomore needed to “grow up a little bit.”
Entering the game against Illinois, Fears led the nation with 204 assists and was averaging nearly 15 points as Michigan State’s leading scorer.
While Izzo was considering disciplining Fears, Izzo has made clear he remains upset about Michigan coach Dusty May’s public criticism of Fears. At a news conference after Michigan’s win, May accused the Spartans of “several plays that are very dangerous.”
“Things got blown up,” Izzo said.
Fears has had a breakout season in his third year at Michigan State, following up a bounce-back season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
