Brother of Spartan PG Torches Wolverines in Jumpman Invitational
Michigan State men's basketball point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. has yet to face the Spartans' biggest rival, Michigan, but his younger brother, Oklahoma freshman guard Jeremiah Fears, just got his first taste of the Wolverines -- and it went well for him, to say the least.
On Wednesday, the No. 14 Sooners bested No. 24 Michigan, 87-86, in the Jumpman Invitational at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Jeremiah, a four-star recruit from Compass Prep High School in Arizona, was the determining factor in Oklahoma's victory, not only with his incredible game-high and career-high 30 points but also with his game-sealing 4-point play in the final 11 seconds of the contest.
The Wolverines had led by 3 with 1:14 to go and had an opportunity to pad that lead with a late possession that would result in a turnover, ultimately setting up a 3-point shot for Jeremiah, who drained it and was fouled on the attempt. The triple tied the game, and his made free throw would give the Sooners the lead.
Michigan had two opportunities to win it on the final possession but missed both of its shot attempts.
Jeremiah has been one of the best freshmen in the country, averaging 17.9 points per game, 4.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals. Earlier this season, he had a three-game stretch where he scored at least 20 points three games in a row.
The freshman sensation has helped will the Sooners to their top-15 ranking in the nation, leading the team in average points and assists.
Jeremiah was ranked the No. 1 class of 2024 recruit from Arizona, the No. 5 combo guard in his class and the No. 44 player overall in his class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Michigan State had offered Jeremiah, but he would ultimately choose the Sooners, a move that has clearly been working out for him.
Michigan's loss on Wednesday was its second loss in a row, as it had also been upset by Arkansas the week before in what was another one-possession defeat.
It's been a tough couple of weeks for the Wolverines, who had previously been on a seven-game win streak that included back-to-back wins over ranked teams -- Xavier and Wisconsin.
They will have two opportunities to finish the calendar year strong with games against Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday and Western Kentucky a week later.
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