Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears suffers non-life-threatening gunshot wound, university reports
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State freshman basketball player Jeremy Fears suffered non-life-threatening injuries from a gunshot wound in the leg late Friday night/early Saturday morning near his hometown of Joliet, Ill., Michigan State associate athletic director/communications Matt Larson said in a university statement released at 2:29 p.m., on Saturday.
The brief press release included a statement from Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo.
“Jeremy underwent surgery this morning and is resting comfortably,” Izzo said. “While there is much we still don’t know, my focus is supporting Jeremy on his road to recovery.”
No other information was made available by the university.
Madeline Kenney of The Detroit News reported via social media at 4:07 pm on Saturday that Fears’ father, Jeremy Fears Sr., said his son underwent three-hour surgery on his left thigh.
“At this point now, it’s just the road to recovery,” Fears Sr. told The Detroit News.
Fears Sr. told The Detroit News Fears Jr. will probably be out for two months.
Fears, a 6-foot-2 guard, is one of the first players off the bench for the Spartans, averaging 15.3 minutes per game as a back-up to point guard A.J. Hoggard.
Fears was listed as the No. 11 point guard and No. 41 player in the nation for the 2023 recruiting class in the On3 Industry Rankings.
Fears played his sophomore and junior years in high school at LaLumiere Prep in Laporte, Ind., and then returned to his hometown high school of Joliet (Ill.) West as a senior.
Fears had a career-high 10 assists during Michigan State’s 99-55 victory over Stony Brook on Thursday night. That was Michigan State’s last game prior to players being sent home for Christmas break. The Spartans will return to action on Dec. 30 against Indiana State.
Fears is averaging 3.5 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds for the Spartans. He ranks second on the team in assists with 40.
Of lesser importance, regarding Spartan basketball concerns, without Fears, Michigan State will likely move sophomore Tre Holloman to the back-up point guard role. Holloman, who came to Michigan State as a point guard, has played more of a wing guard role for the Spartans this year.
Holloman is averaging 6.0 points and 3.1 assists per game while averaging 18.7 minutes. Holloman is shooting a surprising 45.7 percent from 3-point range, which leads the team.
Holloman has started two of Michigan State’s 12 games, including one at point guard in place of Hoggard and one at shooting guard in place of Tyson Walker.
Fears enrolled at Michigan State in June and quickly became one of Izzo’s favorites. Izzo described Fears in October as having uncommon maturity and leadership ability, among the best Izzo has had in his 29 years as head coach at Michigan State.
