No. 5 Michigan State Brings Jeremy Fears Jr., a Duke Win and a School-Record 18 Threes to Knoxville Tuesday
The 4-0 Spartans held Duke to 33.3% shooting in Chicago, then made 18 of 37 3-pointers against Northern Iowa. No. 11 Tennessee is shooting 30.9% from deep and just gave up 24 offensive rebounds to Tennessee State.
Knoxville, Tenn. Michigan State made 18 3-pointers on Friday night, a school record, three days after it held No. 2 Duke to 20-of-60 shooting. That is the team No. 11 Tennessee gets in Knoxville on Tuesday.
The No. 5 Spartans (4-0) visit Food City Center at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2, according to ESPN's schedule. It is Tennessee's first ranked opponent of the regular season and the first true test for a team that needed 27 made free throws to get past Tennessee State 83-78 on Friday.
Michigan State at Tennessee
- Tip
- Tue., Nov. 17, 8 p.m. CT
- TV
- ESPN2
- Michigan State
- 4‑0, No. 5 AP
- Tennessee
- 3‑0, No. 11 AP
- Spartans vs. Duke
- Won 79‑73, Duke shot 33.3%
- Spartans vs. Northern Iowa
- Won 106‑72, 18 of 37 from 3
The point guard Tennessee has to solve
Jeremy Fears Jr. is the reason Michigan State's week went the way it did.
Against Duke at the United Center in Chicago, he had 18 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds and went 12 of 17 at the free-throw line, according to ESPN's box score. Eight of the assists came before halftime, the AP reported. Three nights later against Northern Iowa he scored a season-high 24 points, 19 in the first half, with nine assists and no turnovers. He shot 6 of 7 from the floor and 4 of 5 from 3.
That matchup lands on a sore spot. Rick Barnes tied Tennessee's 17 turnovers against Tennessee State to the lack of a point guard who will run the team, according to Rocky Top Insider. Those turnovers became 24 Tennessee State points. Michigan State turned Northern Iowa's 16 turnovers into 31 points.
A freshman, a shot blocker and a lot of shooters
Fears has help. Jasiah Jervis, a 6-foot-4 freshman guard from New York, scored a career-high 20 against Northern Iowa on 7-of-9 shooting, including 5 of 6 from 3, the AP reported. He added 10 against Duke.
Jordan Scott had six of Michigan State's eight blocked shots against the Blue Devils, along with nine rebounds. Cam Ward added 14 points in that game.
The AP noted that Tom Izzo's teams always play hard but rarely shoot like this one. Against Northern Iowa, seven different Spartans made at least one 3-pointer, and Michigan State went 10 of 15 from deep in the first half alone.
Where Tennessee stands after three games
The Vols have won by 31, 23 and five. The trend in the box score is the worry.
Tennessee's first three games
| Opponent | Score | 3PT | Turnovers | Opp. off. rebounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wofford | W 90-59 | 7-23 | 10 | 13 |
| Radford | W 70-47 | 4-17 | 16 | 13 |
| Tennessee State | W 83-78 | 10-28 | 17 | 24 |
From ESPN's box scores. Tennessee has made 21 of 68 3-pointers, 30.9%. Michigan State made 18 in one night.
Terrence Hill Jr. leads Tennessee at 18.0 points a game, with 54 points over three games and 6 of 18 shooting from 3. Jalen Haralson is next at 10.7, and Dai Dai Ames is averaging 10.0. DeWayne Brown II has 30 rebounds in three games, but he fouled out against Tennessee State after eight minutes, and Barnes said he believes Brown can play better.
Tennessee State played harder. I thought they were better coached. I thought they executed better.Rick Barnes, via Rocky Top Insider
Why this one matters
Michigan State's win over Duke was Izzo's first over Jon Scheyer and his fourth against Duke in 19 tries, the Detroit Free Press reported. The Spartans also have Arkansas and Gonzaga on their nonconference schedule.
For Tennessee, the stakes are simpler. After Michigan State, the Vols host Coastal Carolina on Friday and then go to Las Vegas for the Players Era event, opening against Maryland on Nov. 24.
Tip is 8 p.m. CT Tuesday on ESPN2.
Sources: ESPN (AP), Fears stars as No. 5 Michigan State knocks off No. 2 Duke 79-73 in Champions Classic; ESPN (AP), Fears scores 24, leads No. 5 Michigan State to 106-72 win over Northern Iowa; ESPN, Michigan State 2026-27 schedule; Detroit Free Press via Yahoo Sports, Tom Izzo gets Duke revenge as Michigan State wins in Champions Classic; ESPN, Tennessee 2026-27 schedule; ESPN, Wofford vs. Tennessee box score; ESPN, Radford vs. Tennessee box score; ESPN, Tennessee State vs. Tennessee box score; Rocky Top Insider, Everything Rick Barnes said after narrow win over Tennessee State
