Fears leads Michigan State over North Carolina in Fort Myers Tip-Off
Spartans' point guard scores 19 points, extends his assists mark
In his second year in the NBA, the former North Carolina All-American Michael Jordan broke his foot. He would go on to become the greatest basketball player of his time.
Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. went through something most people will never experience. Two years ago, he was shot in the leg while visiting his hometown for the holidays in Illinois. While college basketball’s assists leader doesn’t get compared to Jordan much, the same miraculousness of a recovery from an injury that could have ended his career was on display Thursday as he faced Jordan’s alma mater and took over in a way that great players find a way to do.
Nearly two years since he had to learn how to walk again, Fears was running past North Carolina defenders on Thanksgiving Day at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, scoring a game-high 19 points with layups, floaters and fadeaway jumpers while dishing out seven assists and leading the Spartans from behind to a 74-58 victory.
Down seven points in the first half, Fears hit a layup to ignite a 13-0 Spartans run during which he set up teammates for four of the baskets. During the run, Fears took bumps from North Carolina defenders including an uncalled knee to his back on an over-the-back scramble for a loose ball, yet Fears only came back on each play more hungry and motivated to lead his team to victory. The way great players find a way to win.
No. 11 Michigan State (7-0) took a 33-28 lead into halftime and would never relinquish the lead again.
In the second half, Fears didn’t miss. He hit all five of his shots including a crucial three-pointer after North Carolina doubled up on Jaxon Kohler. Kohler dished the ball back out to Fears, who connected on the three-point shot while being fouled, which extended the lead to eight points. The lead would only grow from there. The 6’2 guard showed his heart was as tall as North Carolina’s 7-foot center Henri Veesaar as he leaped to the hoop while challenged in the air by the towering Estonian. Fears scored eight of Michigan State’s final 10 points. His Thanksgiving show, in which he went 8-for-10 from the field, also included five rebounds.
The win was Michigan State’s third this year over a top 20, non-conference opponent, just seven games into the young season. They handed No. 16 North Carolina their first defeat. They have previously beat Arkansas and Kentucky.
Fears credited the team’s “veteran leadership” with their success in the game and against three of the top 25 teams in the country this month. “A lot of these guys, we played in a lot of these big games last year,” Fears said. Michigan State went to the Elite Eight last year, where they fell short to the No. 1 regional seed Auburn just two games from the national championship.
While four of Michigan State’s starters were on the team last year, none of North Carolina’s players were on the Tar Heels last year.
Fears said he told his teammates in their hotel before the game “have your brother’s back. You know there is going to be ups and downs in this game, but stick together.”
Fears said that during a timeout in the game after North Carolina had gone on a run to take the lead from Michigan State in the first half, Fears said he reminded the players again to “have your brother’s back.” He said “we’re going to make mistakes, we went out and got stops.”
Fears was aided by senior center Carson Cooper, who scored 14 points. Cam Ward came off the bench to score 11 points and Jaxson Kohler had 10 points. Forward Coen Carr scored eight points, including some emphatic dunks on passes from Fears.
North Carolina featured the heralded freshman Caleb Wilson, whom Michigan State senior center Carson Cooper described as a likely NBA Lottery pick. Wilson made some flashy dunks early in the game but Michigan State was able to contain him as the game wore on, keeping him further off the basket.
“We made him put it on the floor,” Cooper said. “As time went on, we kind of understood what he wanted to do in the game and where he wanted to get to his spots.”
Wilson, who scored 18 points and whose dunks wowed even Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, also missed seven of his shots. He scored six of his points from the free throw line.
Izzo, a Hall of Fame coach, called Wilson one of the best players he has seen.
“Where I’m from, you don’t ever see those things but that was amazing,” Izzo said.
Michigan State was able to match up against the 6-11 Wilson and 7-0 Veesaar with Carson, who stands at 6-11 and fellow senior Jaxon Kohler, who at 6-9 grabbed 11 rebounds and also stepped back to hit two three-point shots that helped pull the momentum in favor of the Spartans.
The Spartans connected on half of their 10 shots from beyond the arc, while North Carolina made just 17% of their 23 shots from three-point range.
Izzo was pleased that Michigan State held North Carolina to 17 free throw attempts. “They average 29,” he said. Michigan State made seven of their nine free throws in the game.
Izzo said that Florida “took it to us” early in the game. “I thought they were physical, they bumped us on cuts,” he said. Izzo said he went after his players after a timeout in the first half where he told his team to play with “more pace.” The team went on a 13-0 run shortly thereafter.
Izzo praised the play of Fears.
Izzo said Fears had his best game Thursday night. “He did everything you could ask of a point guard. Leading us and getting us into the right situations and guarding people,” Izzo said.
Asked about some of the physical play Fears faced from North Carolina and how he responded, Izzo said “Jeremy is such a competitive kid and sometimes it hurts him. Things like that a year ago, it would have taken him out of the game. And people knew they could take him out of the game. Now I thought that is what I was most impressed with today. He handled that, he built on it.”
North Carolina coach Hubert Davis, who played for more than a decade in the NBA, said Fears “plays under control, gets into the lane in close spaces, he has the ability to still make places. He plays off two feet, he doesn’t panic. He can score, he can distribute.” Davis said he was impressed by Fears. “His presence on the floor, on both ends of the floor, really settled them. He played a really good game tonight. I was very impressed.”
Izzo said after Tuesday’s blowout over East Carolina that he was still looking for a measuring stick to compare his team to the rest of the league.
It would seem Izzo has found one as the Spartans return to East Lansing to face undefeated Iowa (7-0) and No. 4 Duke (7-0) next.
“I think we are making progress and that is kind of what you want to do right now. You want to get better every game,” Izzo said.
Izzo said it will take time for the league to settle with all of the transferring that has gone on in the offseason, referring to the transfer portals and the recent infusion of money for players where schools can offer players money to bolt from their teams.
“I said it will take until the middle of December to see what teams really have, who is fitting in, who is not fitting in. What transfers really help you and which ones hurt you,” Izzo said.
Izzo has been critical of the transferring system, which has gotten a lot of scrutiny from many veteran coaches. The system has not only seen hundreds of players switching teams this year but even recent announcements that players from the NBA’s developmental G-League signed agreements to play for college teams next year.
“I am all for guys making money. I am not for the transfer. I am not for these rules. I am not for tampering. I think at the end of the day there are going to be some sad kids that have nowhere to go,” Izzo said.
Izzo called Thursday’s 16-point win over one of the better teams in the country “a great victory” but the Hall of Famer who has taken Michigan State to eight Final Fours was still not at ease with the victory. He said he still wanted to see better offensive play. “We don’t have a go-to guy offensively,” he said. Izzo then motioned to his shooting guard from last year, current Orlando Magic guard Jace Richardson, who was on Facetime on a call with his mother who was at the press conference. His father Jason Richardson (a second-team All American for Michigan State and former NBA star) was on hand for the game and was in the locker room during the press conference, Izzo said. Jace Richardson left school early last year to enter the NBA Draft. “Love you man,” Izzo said. “Somebody has to evolve into that kind of player.”
“Jeremy did a much better job tonight of it. We need a couple more guys to step up,” Izzo said.
Fears leads all NCAA Division I men’s basketball players in assists on the season with 67. He entered the game leading all Division I basketball players with 10.2 assists per game. After his seven assists Thursday, his per-game average of 9.6 was still tops in the country.
Izzo said his team is “not an overly-talented team. We are a connected team. We are a together team. We are a fairly tough team. When those things come together, special things can happen.”
Davis pointed to the 46 points Michigan State scored in the paint as being one of the biggest factors in the game. “That just doesn’t work,” he said. Entering the game, North Carolina had one of the best opposing field goal percentages in the nation. Teams that play North Carolina average 36% from the field this year. “We allowed them (Michigan State) to shoot 51% from the field. That just can’t happen.”
Veesaar scored 13 points and had six rebounds for North Carolina. It was a much different game for Veesaar compared to North Carolina’s Tuesday matchup in Fort Myers against St. Bonaventure where he scored 24 points and had 13 rebounds, dominating them inside.
Izzo thanked the Michigan State fans who almost turned the match into a home game for the Spartans. “That was an unbelievable showing,” he said.
Fort Myers Tip-Off continues
The Fort Myers Tip-Off Tournament continues Friday and Saturday with eight Division I women’s basketball games. Among the women’s basketball teams playing at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the Florida Southwestern State College campus will be Kansas, Georgia, Northwestern, Missouri and Butler.