Is Jeremy Fears Jr. trying to be the next Draymond Green?
The No. 10 Michigan State Spartans star has been receiving lots of backlash for his actions during Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minn.
Videos from the game showed Fears seemingly trying to hurt opposing players intentionally, including one where he hit Golden Gophers senior guard Langston Reynolds between the legs. It’s uncertain whether Fears did it on purpose, but either way, he was slapped with a technical foul for it.
You can judge the play for yourself here.
Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. was given a technical foul on this play. pic.twitter.com/q03PMlmOzl
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 5, 2026
Fears’ alleged dirty tactics were a major talking point during Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo’s postgame press conference.
“I’ve had it with that,” Izzo told reporters following the game, via Fox Sports. “That’s not what I teach. That’s not what I coach.”
The 71-year-old Izzo also made it clear that such behavior on the court is not tolerated under his watch, as he issued a stern warning to Fears.
“If he plays that way, he deserves [technical fouls],” Izzo shared. “Okay, and he ain’t going to play that way if I bench him the next game.”
The Spartans can’t afford Fears riding the bench, but at the same time, Izzo can send a strong message by benching the sophomore guard in an important clash on Saturday against the No. 5 Illinois Fighting Illini at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.
So far in the 2025-26 college basketball season, Fears is putting up 14.7 points and recording 8.9 assists per game.
