Head coach Tom Izzo said after the game, there should be no one to blame but himself for the way his team performed in the second half. 

"When a team comes out like that at halftime, put it all on the coach, that's my job," Izzo said. "My job is to get them ready to play; that is my job. If they don't come up with the energy that falls right here."

Two years ago, Fears suffered an injury to his leg from a gunshot wound, putting him out for the remainder of his freshman season. Since, his resilience and on-court leadership have provided an avenue for others to profit from his surgical passing and clutch shooting. 

Against Arkansas, Fears didn’t see any of his shots fall, but still found other ways to make sure his team was successful. Tonight, the shots were falling. Fears netted 15 points on 3-for-5 from three, with 9 assists and 5 rebounds. 

Fears "The Floor General" took command of the offense every trip down the court, coordinating the attack with shifty ball handling and a keen awareness of the court. In the first half, the plan was played out to perfection; after the game, head coach Tom Izzo said the first frame was "phenomenal."

In the second half, though, SJSU’s opening 13–2 run was a reality check. MSU lacked intensity and couldn’t find its rhythm. By the seven-minute mark, the Spartans had already committed 10 fouls. As SJSU began attacking the basket more, MSU couldn’t get out of its own way, picking up four fouls in a two-minute span.

Izzo said Friday’s practice won’t be easy for the team, explaining that if MSU plays like they did today, they’ll get “killed” against No. 9 Kentucky in the Champions Classic.

Last season, MSU owned the conference’s second-best free-throw percentage at 77.9%. But tonight, the Spartans continued this season’s mediocre shooting from the line. Going 17-for-25, the team left points on the board — something Izzo was far from pleased with after the game.

"I promise you something, the free-throw shooting thing is gonna change," Izzo said. 

Izzo said he hopes Fears can become a consistent double-double threat going forward. His ability to find the open pass and knock down shots will be no roadblock to Izzo’s hopes; the only thing holding the captain back is his consistency. Through just three games, though, Fears already shows mountains of upside.

His leadership on the court is something he said he prides himself in. After the game, he said he wants to be the guy who can lead by example. 

"When they see me giving 150%, maybe they might (think) I need to pick it up, we can get two, three stops here."

MSU’s next big test will come in the form of the No. 9-ranked Kentucky Wildcats at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN.

No matter the team or competition level, Izzo said he’s going to keep his same style.

"What do you want me to do? You want me to hug and kiss them? It's not my style," Izzo said. "So when you say I'm being demanding of them, what the hell are you supposed to be doing? We got guys who want to play at the next level. We got guys that want to win championships. We want guys that want to get better every day. Wanting to and doing it are two different things."