In a span of minutes, a potential upset win for Indiana turned into a dominating win for Tom Izzo and Michigan State. In a marquee match-up, the two sides were going band-for-band.
In a span of minutes, a potential upset win for Indiana turned into a dominating win for Tom Izzo and Michigan State. In a marquee match-up, the two sides were going band-for-band. Jeremy Fears Jr dominated in the first half with 19 points. But Lamar Wilkerson punished Michigan State from outside, draining his third three at the 13:11 mark in the second half, tying the Spartans, 51-51, as part of a 13-4 Indiana run over a 4-plus minute stretch. The teams traded baskets to reach 53–53, but then the momentum shifted, sparked by two freshmen: Jordan Scott and Cameron Ward.
From that point on, Michigan State outscored Indiana 28-7, resulting in the worst loss of the Darian DeVries era at Indiana, with the final scoreline reading 81-60. That included a 19-0 run by holding Indiana scoreless for almost 7 minutes. For Izzo, it was Cameron Ward and Jordan Scott who gave them momentum when they needed it the most.
“When you add it all up, we were kind of 53-53, and then our two freshmen hit eight of the next 10 points,” He said at the post-game press conference. “Jordan and Cam, which I’d say we need to come around, especially Cam, because of his injuries. He’s just coming around. But they made some big plays.”
The game was tense, and it was just waiting for a team to break the deadlock. The two inexperienced freshmen took it into their own hands. To start the run, Jordan drove into the lane and knocked down a mid-range jumper. Then, it was Ward’s turn to exceed expectations. He fought through a back screen and cut towards the rim. He was found with a bounce pass.
Despite being matched against the 6’11 Reed Bailey, Ward made a tough lay-up, which further pumped the home crowd. Then Coen Carr hit a thundering dunk that was probably heard by the last person sitting in the 14,797 crowd of the Breslin Center. It forced Indiana into a timeout, and when they restarted, Jordan Scott revived the momentum with a three-pointer from downtown. They proved Tom Izzo and his prediction right.
“I think those two guys are going to be very, very influential in us and we can do from here on out,” Izzo had said of Cam and Jordan. “They’re both incredible kids. They play hard. They’re pretty smart basketball players.”
Jordan finished the game with 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 21 minutes while going 4-6 from the field and 3-4 from the three-point line. He was also a defensive menace on the court with 2 steals and a defensive box plus-minus per Barttorvik of +11.6, the highest in the game. On the other hand, Ward finished with 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal in 14 minutes. With Fears Jr. freezing up for just four points, those second-half contributions proved crucial. Izzo also pointed out the one weakness in his best player, Fears Jr.
Tom Izzo Gives Jeremy Fears Jr Fierce Warning Despite Career Game
Jeremy Fears Jr was hitting some form after a patchy start to the season. He had scored in double digits in four of the last games, including a 21-point, 11-assist display against Cornell. Against Indiana, Fears overshadowed it comfortably. In a career night for Fears Jr. orchestrated the offense and showed his scoring instincts, scoring 23 points to go with 10 assists and 4 rebounds. However, there is one area he still needs to improve on.
“He’s (Jeremy Fears Jr.) still not a three-point shooter, he’s still getting better. I thought his defense and running our offense were better. He did a hell of a job. If he gets the ball moving, I told him and Coen all week, they are the key defensively,” Izzo said. Even later in the conference, he emphasised, “I don’t want Jeremy Fears Jr. to think he’s a three-point shooter until he becomes a good one. All in all, I think this was one of his best games.”
He shot 1-6 from the three-point line and was shooting at 28.6%, among the lowest in the team. The difference, however, he was shooting just 2.6 threes per game before this one. It cost him several scoring opportunities, where he could have gotten to the rim for a better opportunity or passed the ball to a better shooter. He did nearly everything that was expected of him except for that one critique. Overall, it was a big win for Michigan State. Now, Tom Izzo and Co. move on to Washington on the road.
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Category: General Sports
