Jeremy Fears Jr.

Jeremy Fears Jr.
No. 1 – Michigan State Spartans
PositionPoint guard
LeagueBig Ten Conference
Personal information
Born (2005-04-19) April 19, 2005 (age 19)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeMichigan State (2023–present)
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2022 Spain Team
FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2021 Mexico Team

Jeremy Vann Fears Jr. (born April 19, 2005) is an American college basketball player for the Michigan State Spartans of the Big Ten Conference. He was a consensus four-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class.

Early life and high school career

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Fears grew up in Joliet, Illinois and initially attended Joliet West High School. He transferred to the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana after his freshman year.[1] Prior to the start of his senior year, Fears transferred back to Joliet West.[2] He averaged 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game and was named the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year.[3]

Recruiting

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Fears was a consensus four-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class, according to major recruiting services. On January 6, 2022, he committed to playing college basketball for Michigan State after also considering an offer from Illinois.[4]

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Jeremy Fears Jr.
PG 		Joliet, IL Joliet West (IL) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jan 6, 2022 
Star ratings: Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 88
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 38  247Sports: 32  ESPN: 27
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Michigan 2023 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  • "2023 Michigan State Spartans Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  • "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 24, 2023.

College career

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Fears enrolled at Michigan State University in June 2023 in order to take part in summer practices.[5] He averaged 3.5 points and 3.3 assists per game as a freshman.[6]

National team career

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Fears played for the United States national under-16 team at the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship.[7] The following summer, he played for the United States under-17 basketball team at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup.[8]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023–24 Michigan State 12 0 15.3 .500 .167 .647 1.9 3.3 0.8 0.2 3.5

Personal life

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Fears' father, Jeremy Fears Sr., played college basketball at Ohio University and Bradley.[9]

On December 23, 2023, Fears was shot while on holiday break in his hometown and endured a three-hour surgery to remove the bullet from his left thigh. He would return for Michigan State’s 2024 season opener on November 4.[6]

Fears’ younger brother Jeremiah Fears is a guard for the Oklahoma Sooners.

References

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  1. ^ "Nationally ranked sophomore Jeremy Fears Jr. leaves Joliet West for La Lumiere". Chicago Sun-Times. October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  2. ^ "What the return of Jeremy Fears Jr. means for Joliet West and the area's basketball scene". Chicago Sun-Times. August 22, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  3. ^ Brooks, Stephen (March 15, 2023). "Incoming Michigan State PG Jeremy Fears Jr. named Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year". 247Sports. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  4. ^ Biancardi, Paul; Borzello, Jeff (January 6, 2022). "ESPN 60 junior recruit Jeremy Fears commits to Michigan State basketball". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  5. ^ Austin, Kyle (June 9, 2023). "Michigan State's highly rated 2023 class is enrolled and on campus". MLive.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears returns after being shot". ESPN. Associated Press. August 6, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  7. ^ "Jeremy Fears commits to Michigan State Spartans basketball for 2023". The Detroit News. January 6, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  8. ^ "Jeremy Fears, Michigan State basketball commit, leads USA to gold". Detroit Free Press. July 11, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  9. ^ "KU basketball offers Indiana HS point guard Jeremy Fears Jr". The Kansas City Star. August 18, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
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