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Fifth-ranked Michigan State secured a 79-73 upset victory over No. 2 Duke at the Champions Classic on Tuesday night, driven by a standout performance from senior point guard Jeremy Fears Jr.
Fears Commands the Floor in Hometown Return
Fears, playing near his hometown of Joliet, Illinois, at the United Center, posted 18 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, and four turnovers. He earned 12 of his points from the free-throw line by drawing fouls against Duke’s defense, guiding the Spartans through a strong second half while setting up teammates Cam Ward, Jasiah Jervis, and Coen Carr.
The performance followed direct motivation from Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo during preparations leading up to the game.
“I thought Jeremy was challenged this week a lot, and because you’re given a rank, you have a responsibility to live up to that ranking,” Izzo said Tuesday night. “I thought he was OK in the first couple games. I didn’t think he was Jeremy-like. Tonight, I thought he played hard.”
Defensive Impact and Historical Win
Alongside Fears, sophomore forward Jordan Scott anchored Michigan State defensively. Scott scored five points while contributing nine rebounds, six blocks, and two steals. The combined effort handed Duke, led by head coach Jon Scheyer, its first wire-to-wire defeat since losing to seventh-ranked North Carolina in 2024.
The win represented just the fourth victory in 19 attempts against Duke for Izzo, who reflected on the rivalry after the game.
“As far as beating Duke, I’m apologizing to our fans, to my wife, to my kids because they’ve beaten us like a drum,” Izzo said afterward. “Now, the last four or five times we’ve kind of gained momentum because a lot of people are saying that, so it pisses me off and maybe I’ve done a better job. Now, they deserve what they’ve gotten against us, but we haven’t taken a backseat to anybody either, and I don’t plan on taking a backseat in the near future or in the far future, to be honest with you.”
Statistical Milestones and Player of the Year Track
According to Opta Stats, Fears became the first Division I men’s college basketball player to register at least 18 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds against a top-two ranked team since Dwyane Wade did so for Marquette against Kentucky in the 2003 Elite Eight.
Fears led the nation with 9.4 assists per game last season and averaged over 15.0 points, making him the first player to achieve those marks since Ja Morant at Murray State in 2018-19. He also joined Doug Gottlieb and T.J. Ford as the only players in the last 30 seasons to lead Division I in assists and return for another collegiate season.
Only three players in Michigan State history have won national player of the year honors: Shawn Respert in 1995, Draymond Green in 2012, and Denzel Valentine in 2016. Fears aims to follow in their footsteps as the Spartans continue their early-season schedule.
