Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears Trending Towards NBA Draft Lottery

The freshman sensation is one of the best guards in the country, regardless of classification.

Dec 7, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears (0) drives to the basket against Alcorn State Braves guard Marcus Tankersley (11) during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

After reclassifying from 2025 to 2024 and flipping his commitment from Illinois to Oklahoma, freshman combo guard Jeremiah Fears has been on an absolute tear in his initial collegiate campaign, recording double-digit points in each of his first nine games.

Averaging 16.7 points this year, on top of 3.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists, Fears has been one of the best freshmen in the country, joining an elite crop of 2024 guards that includes Labaron Philon of Alabama, Boogie Fland of Arkansas, Egor Demin of BYU, VJ Edgecombe of Baylor, Dylan Harper of Rutgers, Kasparas Jakucionis of Illinois, and Tre Johnson of Texas.

Fears has been a revelation for an Oklahoma team that was projected to finish 15th in the SEC in the media poll preseason. Now, they sit at 9-0, undefeated with some impressive wins under their belt, including Arizona, Providence, and Louisville. Though he hasn't been efficient from beyond the arc at just 30.7%, his prowess at getting to the rim and creating for others off the bounce has been obvious throughout the nine games in which he's played for the Sooners.

The other aspect of his game that deserves recognition is his ability to not only get to the free throw line at a high clip, but also convert on these opportunities. Right now, he's getting 5.3 points from the stripe, attempting 55 free throws over the season for an average of 6.1 per. His 87.5% from the line lends credence to the theory that he could become a more consistent shooter from outside, which could drastically increase his upside.

At 6-foot-4, he projects as a combo guard at the NBA level, as he can do things both on and off the ball. Still, scouts would probably want him to lean into being a lead initiator due to his handle and facilitation skill, and the fact that he's not a threat to shoot the three at this point in time. His deep shot will be his swing skill, as if he can develop consistency there, he will have an outside shot at being a top-10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

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