Will a Michigan State All-American Leave After Declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft?
Last Friday, Spartans fans' worst nightmare became a reality. All-American Guard and the engine behind the Michigan State basketball machine, Jeremy Fears Jr., stated he would enter his name in the 2026 NBA Draft. Entering the NBA Draft process will allow Fears to work out with NBA teams and meet with team executives and scouts. Valuable experience for a young, growing ball player. The red-shirt sophomore was the Spartans' unquestioned leader this season. Fears led Michigan State in points per game with 15.2 and led the nation in assists, averaging 9.4 a night.
Many experts have Tom Izzo’s Spartans as way too early title contenders. With the expectation being that their star guard will be returning to East Lansing for at least one more season. According to John Rothstein, the Spartan floor general will have until the end of the day on May 27th to withdraw his name from the draft. Is this a serious look at an NBA spot, or is this being used as an opportunity for feedback and growth?
Return Likely?
Tom Izzo’s hope for a second title hinges on his point guard’s return. As of now, ESPN has Fear as a top-100 prospect in this year's NBA Draft. Jeremy Woo, ESPN writer, has the Spartan captain slotted in as the 73rd overall prospect, which puts him in the undrafted territory. While a two-way contract is a possibility, the money would still be greater in East Lansing if that were the case. A true competitor, wanting to be a two-way contract player, seems unlikely for the standout guard.
This is not an uncommon practice for Sparty. There has been a history of recent players at Michigan State who maintain their college eligibility while seeing what the NBA may have to offer. Izzo and company saw Jaden Akins test the NBA climate during the 2023 offseason, only to return for two more years with Michigan State. The same process was done by Ex-Spartan A.J. Hoggard, who would return to East Lansing before eventually transferring to Vanderbilt for his senior season. Ultimately, this is encouraged by Izzo. He allows players to learn where they need to grow and helps build their draft stock for the future.
Immediate panic for Michigan State fans after hearing this news is understandable. Losing your cornerpiece is devastating for a program. The good news is that staying in the draft is highly unlikely. According to David Hurns of Sports Illustrated, Fears’ commitment to returning for his redshirt junior year “has not wavered.” Hurns even mentions that the Spartan guard has been working behind the scenes to better position his squad for next season. One could speculate that Fears is working with Izzo to recruit within the transfer portal.
If Fears Jr. were to leave for the bright lights of professional basketball, his absence would be greatly felt by the Spartans. An All-American who led his team in scoring and the nation in assists is not a replaceable player. The good news for Sparty is this will, more than likely, not be the case. The Illinois native will use the draft process to grow as a player and continue to try to help make Spartan basketball stronger. No need to worry, Spartan nation, the floor general will be back for at least one more go-round.
