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Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. issued contact dead-ball technical for kick to Elliot Cadeau groin

by: Alex Byington03/08/26_AlexByington

Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears was assessed a dead ball technical foul for making unnecessary contact with the groin area of Michigan‘s Elliot Cadeau early in the first half of their Big Ten rivalry game Sunday night. The foul occurred with 14:24 left in the opening half, and right in front of an official as Cadeau was guarding Fears near the sideline.

While trying to gather the ball, Fears appears to lose balance and then kicks his right leg back behind him far enough that his foot makes contact with Cadeau’s nether regions, prompting a quick whistle and immediate look of shock from the Michigan guard.

Check out the entire scene here:

“We all see it, I think what they’re looking at is just the unnatural movement of Fears’ leg,” CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore said. “That’s coming at a place that doesn’t really make sense based on the rest of that play and then naturally, the area that (Fears) made contact with is going to add to that right now. But it’s the unnatural movement of it, and with that contact, I’m sure that’s what (the officials) are discussing right now.”

Of course, this isn’t the first time Fears has been caught making rather questionable contact with opposing players this season. Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo even contemplating suspending Fears after the third-year guard had multiple instances in a loss to Minnesota in early February. The next game, Fears’ legs got tangled up with an Illinois player in a play that was reviewed but deemed incidental.

Still, Izzo got angry with reporters that questioned Fears’ on-court behavior following a 85-82 win over the Fightin’ Illini. Following that incident, Hoops HQ’s Seth Davis chimed in, suggesting the situation with Fears could actually work to Michigan State’s advantage going forward.

“I understand Izzo’s point, but the refs only looked at the play because Brad Underwood requested an appeal,” Davis wrote on Twitter. “The appeal was denied, and it cost the Illini a time out. So if people are going to single out Fears for this reason, it could work to Michigan State’s benefit.”

In any case, as evidence of Sunday’s latest incident, it’s clear that Fears is being watched like a hawk by both officials and opposing teams alike. Can Michigan State use that and take advantage by getting teams to burn challenges and timeouts with reviews like the one Underwood called for in their Feb. 7 game?

That remains to be seen. But the talented Michigan State guard, who is averaging a team-leading15.3 points per game, will certainly be under the microscope entering Big Ten Tournament play, as well as the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

— On3’s Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this report.