Sports

Tom Izzo Diverts Blame From Jeremy Fears By Accusing Michigan Of Dirty Play

#Jeremy Fears
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Tom Izzo / Jeremy Fears / Michigan State Spartans

© Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images


The Michigan State basketball team lost to rival Michigan in the regular season finale on Sunday. Star guard Jeremy Fears once again made headlines.

The junior earned a technical foul for kicking Elliot Cadeau in the groin. It continued a history of bad behavior.

Fears is the Spartans‘ best player. He paces the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game. He leads the Big Ten in assists with 9.1 dimes per night.

Unfortunately, his production has been overshadowed by negative attention this season. Fears has been involved in a number of controversial plays deemed dirty.

Criticism started in Michigan State’s first matchup with the Wolverines. Fears was accused of purposely tripping Yaxel Lendeborg.

The next game, he kicked a Minnesota foe in the groin. A few contests later, an Ohio State player received a shot to his buckeyes.

The first cup check looked intentional. The second appeared incidental. A third groin kick occurred Sunday.

Jeremy Fears kicked Elliot Cadeau.

Cadeau clearly made contact with Fears while defending the guard on his back side. Fears’ leg kicked up dramatically as a result of the push. Some argue he was catching his balance. Some say it was a dirty play.

Officials deemed the kick excessive. He was doing too much. A technical foul was assessed in a close game.

Michigan capitalized. They’d go onto win the game, 90-80. Spartans head coach Tom Izzo was asked about the play after the fact.

Tom Izzo diverted blame.

“I don’t think he did anything on purpose,” he said in the postgame presser. “It was a reaction… I watched it on tape. The guy’s pushing him in the back. Sometimes that stuff happens.”

He continued on to accuse Michigan of playing dirty.

“I’m sick of it being one-sided. That’s what upset me about the first time. Fears will get his lunch from me. I wonder if some of their guys will get their lunch from what happened in the first game that didn’t get public.”

Izzo did not go into detail on the alleged antics. He did insinuate, however, that the Wolverines are just as guilty as Jeremy Fears.

Izzo has addressed the situation with his star player. He hopes the behavior does not continue into the postseason.

Michigan State will now gear up for the Big Ten Tournament before an appearance in the March Madness field.