East Lansing, Mich. — Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fiers is joining the team for the upcoming overseas trip and plans to play for Tom Izzo for the first time since he was fired last winter.
“Grateful for this opportunity to play some scrimmage games, and to be able to play again,” Fears said after practice with the team on Tuesday. “Who knows what could happen? But I’m still 99% able to play, back with my team, back in my favorite program. I can’t really complain.”
Izzo said the redshirt freshman is close to 100% after watching him in recent practice, preparing to go to Spain for three scrimmages next week.
“The last 1% will return to playing basketball every day,” Fiers said. “Of course I haven’t played in seven months.”
A five-star recruit from Joliet West High School in Illinois, Fears was shot in the leg on December 23, 2023 while on vacation in his hometown and underwent a 3-hour surgery to remove the bullet from his left thigh. Investigators believe the victims — Fear and an unidentified woman — were inside the residence with others when a male suspect entered through the front door with a handgun and opened fire before fleeing.
Achan admits that a lot has changed since he set foot on campus a year ago.
“I’m mentally and physically strong on the court and in life,” he said. “Nothing can stop you, but you. As long as I keep pushing and moving forward every day, it’s going to get better.”
Fiers was awarded a redshirt, giving him four more seasons of eligibility after being limited to 12 games last season. He averaged 3.5 points and 3.3 assists in 15-plus minutes and had a season-high 10 assists in a win over Stony Brook two days before the shooting.
