Get to know Jeremiah Fears
Jeremiah Fears sits down with Andy Katz to discuss this year's NBA Draft and what he brings to the table.
Overview
Jeremiah Fears grew up in Illinois, but transferred to Arizona Compass Prep as a junior, where he emerged as a four-star recruit and a top guard in the 2025 ESPN 100. He initially committed to Illinois over Kansas and Michigan but ultimately landed at Oklahoma, becoming the Sooners’ biggest recruit since Trae Young. Fears started 31 of 34 games, averaging 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals in 30.2 minutes per game while posting 43/28/85 shooting splits on 12.2 field-goal attempts, 3.9 3-point tries and 6.1 free-throw trips per game en route to SEC All-Freshman Team honors.
Analysis
Fears was a do-it-all wing in college, but he didn’t have a standout trait. He’s not a natural point guard, but he can make plays for himself and others. Fears excels as a slasher and in transition because of his ability to draw fouls. His mid-range game and off-the-dribble jumper are solid, but he needs to show more consistency, especially as a spot-up shooter. Fears needs to put on muscle, but he has good instincts on both ends of the floor and carries a multifaceted skill set.
Quotable
“Jeremiah was just born to be special. He was born to have an NBA jersey. He was born to be one of those guys that people talk about. And he does all the right stuff. And he’s not going to stop building until he’s an All-Star in the league.” — Pete Kaffey, Fears’ coach at Arizona Compass Prep, to The Associated Press
Some stats & tidbits
Fears made 183 free throws as a freshman in 2024-25, tied for 11th in the nation… Father, Jeremy Sr., played college basketball at Ohio and Bradley, and also played professionally in Europe… Brother, Jeremy Jr., was a starting guard for Michigan State in 2024-25 and is a former McDonald’s All-American… The brothers competed on youth basketball teams in Greece and Austria.
Projection
When looking at Fears’ stats and watching him play at Alabama, it’s hard not to see a slender version of New York’s Josh Hart (6-foot-4, 216 pounds). Detroit’s Jaden Ivey (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) and Sacramento’s Markelle Fultz (6-foot-4, 209 pounds) are also fine comparisons and both of whom went very early in their respective drafts (but struggled to be stars at the NBA level). Fears doesn’t have as high of a draft pedigree as Ivey or Fultz, but he could easily be a more impactful player if he harnesses a role similar to Hart.
— Profile by RotoWire.com