Tom Izzo compares Jeremy Fears to Mateen Cleaves via leadership ability

Tom Izzo was talking about his team on Monday with Jon Rothstein and he spoke highly of freshman Jeremy Fears Jr.

With Michigan State football seemingly flying off the rails, that means it’s time for basketball season. And Tom Izzo provided multiple updates on Monday.

Why Monday? Well, Monday was the official start of the season as the Spartans held their first practice. Izzo spoke to the media as well as on Jon Rothstein’s podcast and spoke highly of a couple of guys. First, he was saying that Jaden Akins could be a Gary Harris-type shooter this season and then he mentioned his talented freshman point guard.

Izzo told Rothstein that Fears’ leadership qualities are a lot like a Spartan legend from his lone national title team.

Tom Izzo also tells me that Michigan State freshman Jeremy Fears has "Mateen Cleaves like leadership ability".

Fears is part of a loaded freshman class for the Spartans that also features Xavier Booker, Coen Carr, and Gehrig Normand. https://t.co/uRzm77FvzH

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 25, 2023

If you know anything about Tom Izzo’s you’d know that he doesn’t just offer up praise to anyone. You have to earn it. He’s not the kind of coach that will hype up guys without any merit behind it. For Izzo to say Akins is a Gary Harris-type shooter and Fears is a Mateen Cleaves-like leader, it must mean that both of these guys exhibit those positive attributes in excess.

And for Izzo to compare anyone to Mateen in any way is huge. He’s a big Mateen guy (obviously).

Fears has been touted as a great leader and he even calls himself the “floor general” which shows that he commands respect from everyone while he’s running the point. If he can grow into a Mateen-like leadership role early in his career, he, too, could become an all-time great in East Lansing. Heck, I’d bet money on that happening.

While Fears doesn’t need to be that type of leader right away with four seniors on the team, he may be looked at to do that next season.

Buy stock in Fears now.