Michigan State PG Jeremy Fears declares for NBA Draft, maintains collegiate eligibility
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility. He announced his decision via Instagram on Friday.
“After speaking with my family, coaches and representatives, I’m excited to announce that I will be declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility,” Fears wrote. “This is an important step in my journey, and I’m looking forward to learning, growing and competing against the best as I continue to develop my game. I’m grateful for Coach Izzo, the Michigan State staff, my teammates and my family for their continued support and belief in me.”
Fears, a redshirt sophomore, took a leap into stardom this season. He averaged 15.2 points, 9.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds on 43.1 percent shooting (32.1 percent from three) in 35 games. The Joliet, Ill., native earned First Team All-Big Ten and Second Team AP All-American honors as a result.
Fears (6-2, 190) finished as the nation’s leader in assists per game, and ranked second in total assists behind Purdue guard Braden Smith. His 328 assists broke the single-season program record.
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Last year, Fears averaged 7.2 points, 5.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds on 39.7 percent shooting (34.2 percent from three) in 36 games. He redshirted his true freshman season after suffering a gunshot wound in his leg, which limited him to 12 games.
Declaring for the draft will allow Fears to receive feedback from NBA scouts before choosing whether or not to return to school. Jaden Akins and AJ Hoggard went through a similar process following the 2022-23 season, and both opted to return to East Lansing.
Should he return to Michigan State, Fears would open the year as a preseason All-American candidate and the leader of a potentially strong Spartan team. Michigan State will have to replace outgoing seniors Carson Cooper, Jaxon Kohler, Trey Fort and Denham Wojcik, but the remainder of its playing group can return. The Spartans are also set to add the nation’s No. 7 recruiting class this summer.
