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Tom Izzo compares Jeremy Fears to Mateen Cleaves via leadership ability

More high praise from Tom Izzo.

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Michigan State basketball
© Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

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.

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.

Writer, co-owner of Spartan Shadows. Michigan State and college football expert at FanSided and formerly of The Detroit News. Expert on all things Michigan State. Connor Muldowney has written about Michigan State since graduating from the university with a degree in journalism back in 2013. Ten years of experience as a Michigan State writer/reporter.

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