Locked On Spartans - Daily Podcast On Michigan State Spartans Football & Basketball · Locked On Podcast Network, Matt Sheehan

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: MSU basketball guard Jeremy Fears deserves Big Ten's best with HISTORIC stats

·31 min·2 clips

Jeremy Fears has 15.1 points, 9.1 assists, and a 52.6% assist rate.

1. Locked On Spartans focuses on Jeremy Fears' Big Ten Player of the Year case and Michigan State's place in the conference race. 2. Host Matt and guest Austin Smith matter because they frame the award argument from an MSU perspective and test it against conference rivals. 3. The episode asks whether Fears has done enough with his assist numbers, scoring, and team value to win the award. 4. The hosts open with Fears at 15.1 points per game and note 21 points at Indiana and 26 points with 15 assists against Illinois. 5. They add that Fears has four double-doubles in February and an assist-to-turnover ratio that ranks fourth nationally. 6. The discussion cites Fears' 9.1 assists per game overall and 8.8 assists in Big Ten games. 7. The hosts say Fears' 52.6% assist rate would make him only the fifth Division I player since 2008 to stay above 50%. 8. They name Kay Felder, Chris Dunn, John Morant, and Jason Brickman as the only comparable seasons they could find. 9. Austin Smith argues that Fears would have the lowest turnover percentage of that small group. 10. The episode then shifts from numbers to award criteria and whether 'best player on the best team' should decide Big Ten honors. 11. Austin compares Fears with Braden Smith, calling Smith crucial but saying MSU would fall apart without Fears. 12. The hosts also mention Keaton Wagler and Yaxel Lendeborg as other award candidates. 13. They argue Michigan State has a stronger case because Fears carried the offense in games against Indiana and Illinois. 14. The conversation turns to Fears' reputation and the claim that people still bring up his 'incidences against Michigan, against Minnesota' every game. 15. Austin compares that reaction to Aaron Craft and Draymond Green, saying Fears is hateable because he is smart and effective, not because he is a dirtbag. 16. The hosts say he has remained under 30% from three while still finishing well inside 15 feet and controlling possessions. 17. The episode's tone is conversational and debate-driven, with frequent joking, pushback, and running commentary between Matt and Austin. 18. The format mixes stat talk, award argument, bracketology, and rivalry discussion, then closes with lighter segments and show promo reads. 19. Listeners who follow Michigan State basketball, Big Ten awards, and guard analytics would get the most out of this episode. 20. Listeners who want neutral national analysis without MSU-specific bias may skip it.

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