Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
Jeremy Fears Jr. Named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year
10/5/2026 3:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State men's basketball redshirt junior guard Jeremy Fears Jr. has been named the Big Ten Conference Preseason Player of the Year in a vote of the league's media, announced on Monday afternoon.
Last month, Fears was named the preseason National Player of the Year by Blue Ribbon College Basketball for the upcoming season.
The Big Ten media panel also selected a 10-member Preseason All-Big Ten Team and Fears was one of two unanimous selections to the team, along with Nebraska senior Pryce Sandfort.
Fears and Sandfort were joined by Illinois' David Mirkovic and Andrej Stojakovic, Maryland's Pharrel Payne, Michigan's Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney, Ohio State's John Mobley Jr., UCLA's Trent Perry, USC's Rodney Rice, and Wisconsin's Nolan Winter.
Fears is coming off a career year in 2025-26, helping lead the Spartans to a 27-8 overall record, including a 15-5 mark in the Big Ten Conference. MSU was selected to the NCAA Tournament for the 28th-straight season, officially recognized by the NCAA as the longest active streak in the country, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the 17th time under Head Coach Tom Izzo.
He was one of 10 players selected to the John R. Wooden Award® All-America Team in late March, the fifth All-American honor for Fears, who was named a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press and earned third team honors from The Sporting News, the United States Basketball Writers Association and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Fears led Michigan State in scoring with 15.2 points per game and in assists, with 9.4 per game, which not only ranked first in the Big Ten but was No. 1 in the country. He was third in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (88.5%) and second in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.86). He was the only player in the country who averaged at least 15.0 points and 9.0 assists per game.
Nationally, Fears led the country in assists per game (9.4), was second in total assists (328), fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.86) and ranked No. 33 in free throw percentage (88.5%).
He handed out 13 assists in the Big Ten Tournament against UCLA, breaking the Michigan State school record of 291 set by Cassius Winston in 2018-19. Fears finished the season with a school-record 328 assists and his 9.4 per game average is also a Michigan State record.
Michigan State played the first of three exhibition games on Friday, Oct. 2, beating the University of Incarnate Word, 89-59, in the Izzone Campout Game. MSU's exhibition schedule will continue on Tuesday, Oct. 20, hosting UConn at the Breslin Center (7 p.m., B1G+).
Last month, Fears was named the preseason National Player of the Year by Blue Ribbon College Basketball for the upcoming season.
The Big Ten media panel also selected a 10-member Preseason All-Big Ten Team and Fears was one of two unanimous selections to the team, along with Nebraska senior Pryce Sandfort.
Fears and Sandfort were joined by Illinois' David Mirkovic and Andrej Stojakovic, Maryland's Pharrel Payne, Michigan's Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney, Ohio State's John Mobley Jr., UCLA's Trent Perry, USC's Rodney Rice, and Wisconsin's Nolan Winter.
Fears is coming off a career year in 2025-26, helping lead the Spartans to a 27-8 overall record, including a 15-5 mark in the Big Ten Conference. MSU was selected to the NCAA Tournament for the 28th-straight season, officially recognized by the NCAA as the longest active streak in the country, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the 17th time under Head Coach Tom Izzo.
He was one of 10 players selected to the John R. Wooden Award® All-America Team in late March, the fifth All-American honor for Fears, who was named a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press and earned third team honors from The Sporting News, the United States Basketball Writers Association and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Fears led Michigan State in scoring with 15.2 points per game and in assists, with 9.4 per game, which not only ranked first in the Big Ten but was No. 1 in the country. He was third in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (88.5%) and second in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.86). He was the only player in the country who averaged at least 15.0 points and 9.0 assists per game.
Nationally, Fears led the country in assists per game (9.4), was second in total assists (328), fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.86) and ranked No. 33 in free throw percentage (88.5%).
He handed out 13 assists in the Big Ten Tournament against UCLA, breaking the Michigan State school record of 291 set by Cassius Winston in 2018-19. Fears finished the season with a school-record 328 assists and his 9.4 per game average is also a Michigan State record.
Michigan State played the first of three exhibition games on Friday, Oct. 2, beating the University of Incarnate Word, 89-59, in the Izzone Campout Game. MSU's exhibition schedule will continue on Tuesday, Oct. 20, hosting UConn at the Breslin Center (7 p.m., B1G+).
Friday, October 02
Tuesday, September 22
Monday, March 23
Monday, March 23