Michigan State Basketball Suffers Rare Misfortune on the Recruiting Trail
Michigan State and Tom Izzo were heavily pursuing Jeremy Fears Jr when he was coming out of high school, as well as his brother Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was a top target for Izzo, but now he has committed to the University of Oklahoma, the prospect announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday.
Jeremiah was part of the class of 2025 and has now reclassified to the class of 2024 and will play for the Sooners next season, per multiple reports. Originally committed to Illinois in January, Jeremiah decommitted last month, and the Spartans were involved in his recruitment again. However, with Jeremiah deciding to reclassify, Michigan State could not take him, as there are no more roster spots open for him next year.
Adam Finkelstien of 247Sports went into detail about Jeremiah's decision to join the Sooners, as well as reclassifying into the 2024 recruiting class.
“Reclassifying up is never easy, even if you're old enough to be a true incoming college freshman. This is particularly true for guards," Finkelstein said. "Elliot Cadeau at North Carolina in 2023-24 is the most recent in a long line of examples of how challenging that expedited transition can be.” Said Finkelstien. “There are a few different factors working in Fears' favor, including both the recent gains he's made in the weight room and his obvious and versatile talents with the ball in his hands. At Oklahoma specifically, there should be a nice balance of available minutes to be earned and perimeter spacing to allow him to be aggressive as a playmaker. He will join High Point transfer Duke Miles and Dayton graduate transfer Kobe Elvis as the primary guards in the Sooner's rotation, while Forsythe will provide the necessary depth.”
Jeremiah is a great scoring guard who can get to his spot anywhere on the court. As soon as he touches the ball, he is a shooting threat from anywhere, whether it's a mid-range shot or a shot from way beyond the 3-point line. Jeremiah is also a capable defender, as he is quick and can keep up with guards and can guard wings as well.
“He's an engaged defender who uses his quick hands and feet, but sometimes he defends with his arms at his side," Finkelstein said. "He's added some important muscle mass to his frame in recent months that should help him play through contact on both ends of the floor.”
Jeremiah would have been a great player to have in a Michigan State uniform. Having him play with his brother Jeremy would be fun to watch.
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LUKE JOSEPH