Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. granted medical redshirt season

HOLT – Jeremy Fears Jr. remains a freshman eligibility-wise for the Michigan State basketball team. But the point guard from Joliet, Illinois, will still be tasked with being one of the team's leaders this winter.

MSU confirmed Thursday that Fears was granted a medical redshirt from the NCAA after appearing in 12 games in his first season for the Spartans last winter. Fears suffered a gunshot wound to the leg over holiday break last December that required surgery and led to him missing the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

"I kinda knew for a while, but I'm grateful to get the year back and come in basically as a freshman again but with some games under my belt," Fears said. "It's going to help me in the long run, getting to experience college and watch practices. I've been able to do everything the team has been doing, but I'm grateful to be able to move and get back into the flow of things."

Fears isn't among the 12 MSU players dispersed throughout the six Moneyball Pro-Am teams, but plans to fill in whenever a Spartan is absent. That was the case Thursday, when Fears filled in for senior Jaden Akins on Team Motocars and scored 19 points, playing alongside sophomore forward Xavier Booker.

Fears said he's still working to get back to 100 percent "game-ready" shape, and the Moneyball games allow him to get added repetitions getting up and down the court while working on certain parts of his game.

With Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard departed, Fears will step into a larger role in the backcourt alongside junior guard Tre Holloman. And with that comes a more vocal leadership role.

"Coach (Tom Izzo) wants me to be a leader and puts a lot of trust in me to be that," Fears said. "For me it's about making the next step, to control the team, to help everyone get better and lead and grow as a player myself. It's nothing I haven't experienced, but taking that step at the highest level has been a dream of mine. There are big expectations, but it's basketball at the end of the day."

Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @Nathaniel_Bott