Elite 2025 Guard and Reclass Candidate is receiving significant interest from Kentucky

Could this be the final piece to the 2024 roster?

AZ Compass Jeremiah Fears (2) drives to the basket during the game between Bartlett High School and AZ Compass Prep School during Memphis Hoopfest at Bartlett High School in Bartlett, Tenn., on Saturday, January 6, 2024. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA

Mark Pope and his staff are facing a crucial decision regarding the 2024 roster. With one spot still open, Coach Pope has several options to consider. One intriguing possibility is to follow the international route, similar to the late addition of Big Z last year, or a reclass from the 2025 class.

This is where Jeremiah Fears comes into play; the six-foot-three combo guard who previously de-committed from Illinois is hearing from Kentucky and is a reclass candidate.

Brandon Jenkins, a recruiting analyst at 247sports, had this to say about Fears' game: "He is a smooth and confident scorer who has no problem finding his own offense within the flow of a game. A combination guard with a score-first mindset, Fears is at his best in a secondary ball-handling role where he can primarily focus on making shots and creating for himself off the bounce. He is talented with the ball in his hands and has a creative enough handle to break defenders down to get to his pull-up game. While he is smooth off the bounce, there are times when Fears can be loose with the ball through traffic. However, whether playing on or off the ball his ability to make shots makes him a player that needs to be accounted for at all times. He has all the needed variables to be a solid scoring option at the power conference level."

Many other major programs are in for Fears, including the likes of Uconn, Arkansas, USC, Creighton and many others. Fears has the talent, and if he does make the jump to the 2024 class, Kentucky will be a team to watch.