Fears stars for No. 10 Michigan State in OT win over No. 5 Illinois after Izzo debated benching him

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jeremy Fears played one of his best games to help No. 10 Michigan State earn a much-needed win after his coach thought about benching him.

Fears started the game and finished with 26 points — 11 in OT — and 15 assists in 42 minutes, lifting the Spartans to an 85-82 win over No. 5 Illinois on Saturday night, after coach Tom Izzo debated whether to discipline the standout point guard after his sportsmanship was called into question in two straight games.

Late in the first half, Fears was scrutinized again.

“If he breathes on somebody now, there’s going to be a call,” Izzo said after the game.

Fighting Illini coach Brad Underwood asked officials to review whether Fears intentionally tripped David Mirkovic after stopping in front of him.

“I didn’t have any worry that it wasn’t a basketball play,” Fears said.

Underwood lost the appeal.

“They looked at it,” Underwood said. “It’s always going to be a judgment. He stopped. It’s what he does.

“He was terrific. We didn’t do a very good job of squaring him up.”

Izzo said on the pregame radio show that he doesn’t condone what Fears has done in recent games, adding he hasn’t done anything to merit a suspension.

“He’s remorseful,” Izzo said.

In a 76-73 loss at Minnesota on Wednesday night, Fears swung his leg backward into Langston Reynolds’ groin area after the whistle when Reynolds was called for a foul on Fears. Officials gave Fears a technical on review.

“I had some mistakes that I made in past game that I don’t want to let happen,” Fears said. “I hurt my team.”

In last week’s 83-71 loss to rival and second-ranked Michigan, Fears appeared to intentionally trip preseason All-America forward Yaxel Lendeborg.

The day before facing the Fighting Illini, Izzo said he still was considering benching Fears for at least a portion of the game. Izzo said the redshirt sophomore needed to “grow up a little bit.”

Entering the game against Illinois, Fears led the nation with 204 assists and was averaging nearly 15 points a game as Michigan State’s leading scorer.

While Izzo was considering disciplining Fears, Izzo has made clear he remains upset about Michigan coach Dusty May’s public criticism of Fears. May accused the Spartans of “several plays that are very dangerous,” during a news conference.

“Things got blown up,” Izzo said.

Fears has had a breakout season in his third year at Michigan State, following up a bounce-back season.

His freshman year was cut short because he needed a 3-hour surgery to remove a bullet from his left thigh. While hanging out with friends on Dec. 23, 2023 during a holiday break from the team, Fears and a 19-year-old woman were shot by a male with a handgun after the man entered a residence and opened fire before fleeing.

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