Sports

Technical Fouls Assessed After Michigan State Guard Jeremy Fears Kicked Another Player In Groin

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

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


Jeremy Fears was involved in another controversial play during a game vs. Big Ten rival Ohio State. The Michigan State guard kicked Amare Bynum in the groin.

Technical fouls followed the incident as a result of jawing between players. It continued a trend of suspect behavior surrounding the Spartans‘ star.

Michigan State hosted the Buckeyes on Sunday afternoon in a chance for each squad to boost NCAA Tournament resumes. The Spartans appear safely in the field, projecting as a four-seed in the latest ESPN Bracketology update.

Ohio State needed the win a bit more. They, at the time of this writing, are one of the “last four byes” in the bracket. A loss would threaten postseason pursuits.

The Buckeyes got off to a good start. They held a 26-23 advantage at the halftime break. That lead would grow to six before the Spartans fought back.

As we’ve seen many times in the past, Michigan State overcame an early deficit with a strong second half performance. They’d use an 11-2 run to dig out of the hole and eventually win the game, 66-60.

While the comeback further solidified the Spartans’ inclusion in the NCAA Tournament field, it did not come without drama surrounding the team’s star guard.

Jeremy Fears kicked another player in the groin.

Fears had the ball swatted from his hands by Amare Bynum while driving for the basket in the second half. In a successful attempt to draw a foul, the guard flailed his arms and legs to the side in dramatic fashion.

His left leg got up into the groin region of Bynum, sending him to the floor in pain. Referees ruled that the contact was not “egregious.”

That ruling did not prevent Fears from landing a technical foul. He and Ohio State’s Gabe Cupps were both assessed T’s due to trash talk during free throw attempts.

This has become a trend.

Jeremy Fears has been involved in a number of controversial plays of late. In Big Ten play, he’s experienced backlash for potentially dirty antics.

Against Michigan, he was called out by head coach Dusty May for trying to trip a Wolverines player. The next game, he kicked a Minnesota foe in the groin.

Then, against Illinois, he was accused of tripping an opponent as he ran down the court.

Tom Izzo has diverted blame in the past. He will likely do so again in this situation with the play not being deemed dirty by officials.

This instance appeared accidental. Unfortunately, given his history, everything with Fears is scrutinized.

Fears had a strong game, scoring 11 points, dishing out eight assists, and recording a pair of steals. He’ll hope his play is the only thing talked about in games to come.