Jeremy Fears Jr. dropped a monster 18 points and 11 assists, notching his 14th career double-double and straight-up leading No. 5 Michigan State to a huge 79-73 upset over No. 2 Duke. This wasn’t just a win, it was a total shutdown, with Fears making a real claim as the best point guard in the country right out of the gate at the State Farm Champions Classic in Chicago. Jon Scheyer’s No. 2 Blue Devils came in ranked high, but they got absolutely flustered by a Michigan State squad that led the entire way, sending a loud message to the rest of college basketball.
Spartans Came Out Firing, Blue Devils Flat
Michigan State decided they weren’t waiting around for Duke to get comfortable. The Spartans exploded with an 11-2 run to kick things off, draining their first four shots, with half of them coming from deep. They were all over Duke early, forcing four turnovers in the first three minutes alone. You could practically hear Scheyer calling that quick timeout in frustration, because his Blue Devils looked completely out of sync, sluggish and just plain slow from the opening whistle. Nothing was falling for them, either. They hit a brutal two of their first 13 attempts and went 0-of-8 from behind the arc to start the game. Even though Duke managed to cut the lead to a single possession late in the first half, finally getting a pair of 3-pointers to drop, Michigan State slammed the door shut with a 7-1 run, taking a nine-point lead into the locker room. Ethan Taylor delivered a huge and-one layup through Patrick Ngongba in the final minute, and the Spartans capped it off with a massive defensive stand, forcing a shot clock violation. Duke finished the first 20 minutes shooting only 26% from the field and only managed a measly seven field goals. Seriously, seven.
Fears Went Off and the Spartans Answered Every Call
Coming out of the break, Michigan State didn’t slow down for even a second. The Spartans just kept pouring it on, pushing their lead to 14 points just minutes into the second half. Fears was absolutely cooking, completing a ridiculous coast-to-coast and-one to secure his double-double and electrify the crowd. Duke tried to make moves, they really did, but every single time the Blue Devils chipped away, Michigan State had an answer. Backup point guard Carlos Medlock stepped up with a clutch stepback 3-pointer while Fears was catching a breather, and Jordan Scott weaved through the defense to put an end to an 8-0 Duke run late in the half. Michigan State fended off every single Blue Devil push the rest of the way down the stretch, sealing the six-point victory. John Blackwell led Duke with 17 points and five rebounds in the loss, but he shot a tough 6-of-16 from the field and was the only Blue Devil player to make more than two field goals all night. Ngongba added 11 points and seven rebounds for Duke. For the Spartans, Cam Ward came off the bench big time with 14 points and six rebounds, joining Jasiah Jervis who chipped in 10 points to back up Fears’ unbelievable performance.
This win was a statement. Tom Izzo’s squad proved they deserve to be talked about with the best, a real national title threat. They’ve got serious momentum and some tough tests coming up before Big Ten play even starts. You gotta watch this team.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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