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Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. will return for his fourth season with the Spartans, CBS reported. After averaging 15.2 points per game and leading the nation with 9.4 assists per game during the 2025-26 season, Fears entered his name into the NBA draft pool.
He tested the professional waters until just before the deadline – Wednesday, May 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET – to retire, ultimately staying in East Lansing for another year.
Fears embodies the culture that head coach Tom Izzo has built at Michigan State. In an era where many players are transferring, Fears has seen gradual development under Izzo. When he returns, he will join players who have followed a similar path, such as Coen Carr and Kur Teng. Rising sophomores Jordan Scott and Cam Ward will also be key members of the 2026-27 roster, as will Kaleb Glenn, who redshirted after transferring from FAU.
With the Spartans having such a strong retention history, they don’t use the transfer portal often. However, Michigan State saw guard Divine Ugochukwu transfer to LSU, while forwards Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler graduated after the season. So they dove into the portal and landed on Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke, who, like Fears, entered the NBA draft pool and eventually returned to Michigan State.
Fears, who was voted to the 2025-26 All-Big Ten first team, will likely be a candidate to win the Bob Cousy Award for the nation’s top point guard during the 2026-27 season. Had he remained in the NBA draft, it would have significantly diminished Michigan State’s chances of contending for a national title.
