Izzo comments on Jeremy Fears Jr.’s decision to forgo NBA, return to MSU

Tom Izzo is very excited to have his star point guard back for another season with the Spartans.

Izzo caught up with a local TV station recently, where he was asked about Jeremy Fears Jr. and the meaning of having him back for another season at Michigan State. Izzo said he was “happy” to have Fears back but also felt confident throughout the process that he’d be returning for another season at Michigan State.

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“I didn’t know know all along (that he would return), I felt good all along,” Izzo said in an interview with WILX in Lansing. “I didn’t know what he was going to do for sure but he stayed in touch with me and for that I was greatly appreciative. … I think Jeremy wants to be in college too. So I’m sure it was a slam-dunk (decision).”

Fears entered his name into the NBA Draft to get an assessment on his pro stock and ultimately elected to come back for another season of college hoops. He did, though, impress during the pre-draft process and made it a little bit more interesting of a decision by the time he announced he’d be returning.

With Fears back, Michigan State will enter next season as a preseason top 10 team and Fears specifically will be a preseason All-American. He averaged more than 15 points per game and just under 10 assists per game this past season, and the hope is that he’ll elevate even more this upcoming year.

Watch Izzo’s full interview with WILX in Lansing in the embedded video clip below: