Jeremy Fears Jr, Michigan State basketball feast on Bruins from deep
EAST LANSING – No need for a comeback. Not with the way Michigan State basketball rediscovered itself Tuesday, Feb. 17.
It was an overwhelming, dominating performance, start to finish.
The 15th-ranked Spartans scored 18 straight points as part of a 26-3 run that buried UCLA and Xavier Booker from the outset en route to a 82-59 victory at Breslin Center.
Coach Tom Izzo’s squad had lost three of its last four, including getting scorched 92-71 on Friday at No. 25 Wisconsin. And what the Badgers did to the Spartans, the Spartans passed onto the Bruins (17-9, 9-6).
Jeremy Fears Jr. set a personal best with four 3-pointers and both Jordan Scott and Kur Teng drained three apiece as MSU (21-5, 11-4 Big Ten) finished with a season-high 14 from behind the arc.
Fears had 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting and added 10 assists, the fourth straight game with double-digit helpers for the nation’s leader in assists per game. Coen Carr added 16 points, while Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler combined for 21 points and 17 rebounds. Scott finished with 11 points, the fifth straight game for the freshman shooting guard scoring in double figures.
Booker, the junior forward who transferred out of MSU after two seasons, finished with two points and two rebounds in 23 minutes for UCLA. Tyler Bilodeau led the Bruins with 22 points, and Skyy Clark had 12 off the bench. MSU held two of UCLA’s leading scorers, Trent Perry and Eric Dailey Jr. to just 11 points combined.
Big Ten standings
With the win, the Spartans kept pace with conference-leading Michigan, which remained 3½ games up on the Spartans with its own win Tuesday. The Spartans moved into a tie, however, with Purdue for fourth place in the conference; the top four teams receive a triple-bye in next month’s Big Ten Tournament.
What’s next for Michigan State basketball
Before hitting the road to Indiana for two games next week, the Spartans host Ohio State on Sunday (1 p.m., CBS). The Buckeyes (16-9, 8-6) hosted Wisconsin on Tuesday night, and they were coming off a 70-66 loss to No. 14 Virginia in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday.
Big resurgence
It has been a rough stretch for Kohler and Cooper. The two seniors struggled over the Spartans’ four-game swoon, with 6-9 Kohler averaging 9.3 points and 9.3 rebounds and Cooper posting 5.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in that stretch.
MSU came out and made both a priority to get on track.
Cooper hit a jumper from the wing, and Kohler followed with a short jumper on the block. Then the 6-foot-9 Kohler, who was shooting just 29.2% from deep over the past four games, drained a 3-pointer over Booker to jolt MSU’s early knockout punch and provide a sign of what was to come from beyond the arc.
Cooper added a dribble-drive layup through a foul for a three-point play later in the half, then followed it with four more free-throw makes as MSU’s lead grew to 40-16 with 3:53 left before halftime.
Both post players also dominated the glass against the Bruins, who entered ranked 310th in Division I at 32.72 rebounds a game. Cooper and Kohler each had seven rebounds in the first half and combined for 16 first-half points.
MSU dominated the Bruins on the boards in the opening half, 21-9, and finished with a 37-27 rebounding advantage.
Shooting stars
MSU went 14-for-27 from beyond the arc, eclipsing the 13 made 3-pointers the team had against East Carolina on Nov. 25. The Spartans entered shooting just 28.6% from 3-point range in the past four games (28-for-98).
Scott got things going with an early 3 and then buried back-to-back deep balls to cap the Spartans’ 18-0 run in the first half. UCLA dared Fears to shoot from outside, as other opponents have this season, and the third-year sophomore point guard connected early and often.
In doing so, MSU also guarded the arc far better against UCLA after giving up 15 3-pointers to the Badgers and allowing the past four opponents to hit 38.1$ from deep. The Bruins went 8-for-25 overall from 3 but were just 3-for-13 in the first half as the Spartans’ lead grew to as many as 24 before the break.
The Bruins entered 26th in Division I in 3-point defense (30.0) and 18th in 3-point shooting percentage (38.1%).
Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jeremy Fears Jr, Michigan State basketball feast on Bruins from deep
Vikings Eye Trade for Javon Hargrave to Free Cap Space
Hargrave signed a two‑year, $30M deal in 2025 but played only 537 defensive snaps in 2026, 76 more than rookie Levi Drake Rodriguez. Despite a 68.0 PFF grade, the 33‑year‑old was inconsistent and the Vikings are $40.156M over cap.
A trade would release $15M in cap space and could allow the Vikings to acquire a younger tackle, while younger linemen like Rodriguez and Jalen Redmond have outperformed expectations. If a deal falls through, the team could restructure Hargrave’s contract for a potential rebound under coach Brian Flores.
Ukraine Skeleton Racer Given $200,000 After Olympic Ban
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The donation from the football club equals the prize money Ukraine pays to gold medal winners.
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Minnesota Vikings get an ACC defender in latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft
The Minnesota Vikings had one of the best defenses in the league last season. They ranked third in yards allowed and seventh in points given up.
But that doesn't mean there aren't holes in the unit. Byron Murphy, Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers were the only two cornerbacks to play over 200 snaps. Part of that was due to Brian Flores deploying lots of base defense, but the Vikings entered the season thin at the position. It was even worse when Jeff Okudah was lost for the season after Week 7.
That has many mock drafts projecting Minnesota to take a cornerback. In his post- Super Bowl mock, Max Chadwick of PFF had the Vikings select Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell at pick 18.
The Vikings have finished outside the top 15 of team PFF coverage grade in each of the past six seasons and need plenty of help in their secondary. Terrell's 90.6 PFF overall grade over the past two seasons ranked fifth among all Power Four cornerbacks.
If you've looked at any mocks, you've likely seen Terrell's name slated for the Vikings. He has been Minnesota's selection in 40% of the site's mock draft simulations.
What's also important is that the selection aligns with his values, too. Terrell is ranked 19th on PFF's Big Board, meaning the Vikings wouldn't be reaching to address one of their biggest needs.
So keep an eye on Terrell as he continues to be a popular pick for Minnesota in early mock drafts.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings get an ACC defender in latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft