Michigan State’s men’s basketball squad might be without its top player, Jeremy Fears Jr., for their final exhibition game this Sunday. The Spartans are heading to Milwaukee to face off against Marquette, and the big question hanging in the air is whether Fears will actually suit up for the 1 p.m. ET tip-off.
Minor Scare, Major Question Mark
Fears Jr. took a hit and suffered a minor lower leg injury in Tuesday’s exhibition game against UConn. What’s wild is he left the game for only a few minutes, then jumped right back in to finish it out. You’d think that’d be the end of it, right? Not quite. Fast forward to Thursday, and while both head coach Tom Izzo and Fears himself made comments suggesting he’d play against the Golden Eagles, Izzo just wouldn’t commit 100%. He’s clearly got an eye on the bigger picture, stating he won’t risk it if there’s any chance of the injury lingering.
Izzo’s Caution and What It Means
ESPN’s Stephen Brooks shared Izzo’s exact vibe: “Tom Izzo and Jeremy Fears Jr. both said after practice they expect Fears to play Sunday at Marquette. Izzo wouldn’t commit 100% but it’s certainly his expectation. Won’t risk it though if it’s something that can linger, he said.” This is the kind of cautious approach you gotta respect, especially for a key player in an exhibition game. While we expect him to play, don’t be shocked if Fears Jr. sees a limited role against Marquette. This final tune-up, which you can catch streamed on YouTube, is the last chance for the Spartans before the real games start, and Izzo clearly isn’t playing around with player health.
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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