When Jeremy Fears dominates, Michigan State basketball nigh-unstoppable

BUFFALO, NY − Heading into the NCAA Tournament , Tom Izzo issued a challenge to Jeremy Fears Jr. “What I told him in my meetings with him is that he’s gotta learn how to run a team and gather people,” the Hall of Fame coach said. “That’s not as easy as you think.

” And yet, his point guard made it look that way from start to finish in 3-seed Michigan State basketball 's 92-67 blowout of 14-seed North Dakota State on Thursday, March 19. Fears had nine assists at halftime and ultimately finished with 11 while making a clear and concerted effort to elevate the play of his teammates around him the entire game. JEFF SEIDEL: Michigan State basketball cleared for takeoff with March Madness dunks From setting up Carson Cooper time and again in the paint to swinging the ball around the perimeter to give Jaxon Kohler 3-point looks.

From getting freshman Cam Ward involved early and often in the offense to giving Coen Carr chances to wow the crowd with electrifying dunks. All while taking just two shots in the first 20 minutes and finishing with only seven points. That broke a streak of 20 straight games in which the third-year sophomore scored in double figures.

But it provided perhaps his most galvanizing basketball of an All-American season. “We’ve seen him [do this] in bits and pieces during the year,” said Cooper, the senior center who tied a career high with 20 points and added 10 rebounds. “I think this was a big game where he showed up for 40 minutes, especially off the start.