Izzo threatens to bench Fears after tech in Michigan State loss

After its star point guard was accused adopting dirty tactics For the second consecutive game, michigan state Head coach Tom Izzo called him out.

Izzo said Jeremy Fears Jr.., who ranks second in the country with 8.8 assists per game, has to “grow up a little bit” after being called for a flagrant technical foul in the second half against the No. 10 Spartans. 76-73 against annoying road damage minnesota On Wednesday.

Izzo said that Fears’ actions could affect his playing status in the near future.

“I don’t even know if I’m going to start him the next game,” Izzo said after the loss, which dropped Michigan State to fourth in the Big Ten standings.

In the second half of Wednesday’s game, Minnesota guard langston reynolds Whistle was blown for a foul after a scuffle with Fears. After Minnesota head coach Niko Medved asked for a review, Fears was given a technical foul when replays showed his foot coming in contact with Reynolds’ groin during contact.

Izzo eliminated the scare after the technical.

Michigan State trailed by five at the time, but Minnesota increased its lead to 12 about 90 seconds later, handing the Spartans their second consecutive loss.

“Those are important plays,” Izzo said of the sequence after Fiers’ technical foul.

In Michigan State’s loss to rival Michigan in East Lansing on Friday, Michigan coach Dusty May said there was “40 minutes” of footage that showed Starr crossing the line of fear after being accused of trying to trip. Yaxel Lendeborg In that game. May said that Fears’s actions were deliberate and “dangerous”.

After Friday’s game, when Izzo was told what May had said, he said, “I don’t care”, and added that the Michigan staff could “call me” if they wanted to discuss any plays in the game. He also accused the Wolverines of questionable actions.

On Wednesday, Izzo referenced May’s comments and said the results after Friday’s game were handled “poorly,” suggesting that May’s comments had encouraged opposing players to instill fear. However, he also said that the reaction was self-inflicted out of fear.

“It happens sometimes when someone comes out and says something about a person publicly, but it’s Jeremy’s fault,” Izzo said. “I made sure I cleared everything up. I think the officials knew that. I talked to them. I didn’t see what happened on the play. I saw him push and I saw his foot come up and I didn’t think he hit anybody, but if he did, I think he deserves it. But if he didn’t, I questioned it. So are they reprimanding him? Well, absolutely. And it’s his fault.”