Michigan State redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) goes for a last-minute layup during the Northwestern matchup at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan, on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.
Michigan State University’s Jeremy Fears Jr. was named a midseason finalist for the 2026 Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation's best point guard.
One of 10 players to make the list — alongside Bennett Stirtz and 2025 winner Braden Smith of Purdue — Fears has demonstrated that he is one of the best floor generals in the conference and the country.
In late February, the list will be narrowed to five, and a winner will be selected in April.
All season, head coach Tom Izzo has drawn comparisons between Fears and former Spartan Mateen Cleaves, who led MSU to a national championship in 2000. Both possess great ball-handling abilities, excel at passing and lead their teams by example.
"Jeremy, he's in my Mateen Cleaves mold because he talks, let's face it, sometimes too much, but so do I. That's why I love him," Izzo said at media day. "But he has the toughness and the intelligence to say the right things. I think he's really turned the corner on that."
Fears has set a new career high in points for himself four times this season. His 14.9 points per game lead all Spartans, and his 8.8 assists per game rank second in the nation, 0.1 behind Purdue’s Smith.
"What he has done a good job of is when he scores 29 points, he still gets nine or 10 assists. That's saying you're doing a good job," Izzo said. "I've been pleased with Jeremy's play. I think he's doing a better job in a lot of areas, and that's why some other guys gotta lead up."
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