Tom Izzo reveals decision on punishment for Jeremy Fears following Minnesota fiasco

Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. is a full-go for Saturday night’s marquee game against No. 5 Illinois.

Fears Jr. received a boatload of backlash following Michigan State‘s game against Minnesota Wednesday night, as clips of ‘non-basketball plays’ emerged. He was seen appearing to trip a player, while extending his leg into a Minnesota player’s groin in another clip.

Prior to tip-off against the Illini, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo revealed that Fears Jr. will not face a suspension or any punishment for his actions. He stated that Fears is ‘remorseful’ for his actions in the game, and he is ‘comfortable’ with how the program is handling it. However, another incident could warrant a suspension for the third-year guard.

No suspension or punishment for Jeremy Fears Jr., Tom Izzo says on pre-game radio. Said Fears is "remorseful" about what happened last game. Izzo is "comfortable" with how they're handling it. Said another incident could warrant a suspension.

— Stephen Brooks (@StephenM_Brooks) February 8, 2026

“I sat him for a while, and I don’t even know if I’m gonna start in the next game,” Izzo said immediately after the loss to Minnesota. “But I stuck up for him, too, because of what happened in the last game. I’ll just say what happened in the last game; the way that was handled was poorly, too. And so that starts everything, but Jeremy’s got to grow up a little bit, but at least he played harder. I’m worried about my other (three) guys not playing hard enough.”

Fears Jr., averaging 14.7 points and 8.9 assists per game, is much needed on the court for Michigan State. Sophomore guard Divine Ugochukwu, who had played in 22 of 23 games this season, was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a foot injury. In his first season in East Lansing, the Miami transfer was averaging 5.1 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game.

As the disappointing news of Ugochukwu’s injury emerged, Michigan State is riding a two-game losing streak for the first time this season. The Spartans dropped their rivalry game at home against No. 3 Michigan 83-71 last Friday night, and were upset by Minnesota on Wednesday. The schedule does not let up either, as they host Illinois at the Breslin Center Saturday night. The Illinis have won 12 consecutive games and have risen to No. 5 in the country, their highest ranking since the 2020-21 season (No. 2).