Michigan State senior point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. delivered a masterful performance as the fifth-ranked Spartans upset No. 2 Duke 79-73 at the Champions Classic on Tuesday night at the United Center. Fears finished with 18 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and four turnovers, scoring 12 of his points from the free-throw line after drawing fouls with aggressive drives.
After a quiet first half, Fears took control in the second half, ensuring Duke never got within striking distance. His competitiveness and passing elevated teammates Cam Ward, Jasiah Jervis and Coen Carr, while his command of the game reinforced Michigan State's status as a national title contender. The victory marked only head coach Tom Izzo's fourth win in 19 attempts against the Blue Devils.
"I thought Jeremy was challenged this week a lot, and because you're given a rank, you have a responsibility to live up to that ranking," Izzo said. "I thought he was OK in the first couple games. I didn't think he was Jeremy-like. Tonight, I thought he played hard."
Sophomore forward Jordan Scott provided a defensive spark with five points, nine rebounds, six blocks and two steals, earning praise as the second-most important player on the floor. The collective defensive effort held Duke to its first wire-to-wire loss since a 2024 defeat against North Carolina.
Fears' stat line of at least 18 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds against a top-two opponent is the first in men's Division I since Dwyane Wade's triple-double for Marquette in the 2003 Elite Eight, according to Opta Stats. Last season, Fears led the nation with 9.4 assists per game (a Big Ten record) and became the first player since Ja Morant (2018-19) to average at least 15 points and nine assists. He joins Doug Gottlieb and T.J. Ford as the only players in the last 30 seasons to lead the sport in assists and return for another season; Ford went on to win the Naismith Award.
Michigan State's three previous national players of the year are Shawn Respert (1995), Draymond Green (2012) and Denzel Valentine (2016). If Fears leads the nation in assists again, paces the Spartans in scoring and guides them to a Big Ten title, he could join that exclusive list come April.
