Jeremy Fears Jr. has another preseason honor. CBS Sports named the Michigan State guard its preseason player of the year on Thursday, one day after the school announced his place on CBS's preseason All-America team. Those votes reflect what he did in 2025-26. Tuesday's exhibition against UConn will offer a more useful look at how Michigan State intends to use him now.
Tom Izzo gave that look a sharper focus at Michigan State's October 16 media day. He said he substituted in "hockey lines" during the first exhibition, sending groups of young players in together. Izzo thought that gave everyone playing time, but left freshmen without enough experienced teammates beside them. Against UConn, he said he would "probably mix and match a little bit more."
Izzo's next decision concerns who shares the floor with Fears. The guard averaged 9.4 assists and 15.2 points in 2025-26. The assist figure explains why minutes next to him could help newer Spartans find their places. It does not tell Izzo which combinations will defend well or how often another guard can run the offense. Izzo said guard injuries left last season's group short-handed late in the year and argued that depth matters. A deeper rotation has to work when the groups are mixed.
Izzo also said Fears has improved as a shooter, while challenging him to become an elite defender. Both are the coach's assessments before this exhibition, not results from it. The most revealing possessions Tuesday may come when Fears shares the floor with younger players, then when Michigan State tries a group without him. Can those lineups hold their defensive assignments and keep the offense organized? One exhibition cannot answer how the Big Ten season will go, but it can show whether Izzo's proposed substitution change gives his depth a practical job.
CBR's earlier look at Michigan State's roster considered how Izzo's returners and transfers fit together. His newer remarks narrow the next test. Michigan State hosts UConn on October 20 at 7 p.m. Eastern. The lineups with freshmen and veterans together, especially the minutes when Fears rests, will show what Izzo can actually do with the depth he described.
