WITH EXPLOSIVE speed, electric finishing and some masterful playmaking, Jeremiah Fears has quickly climbed the rankings ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft in June.

The point guard played for Oklahoma in the NCAA this season, and despite his team exiting the National Tournament earlier than they would have liked, Fears still boosted his draft stock with a 20-point performance against Connecticut that showcased his impressive skillset.

On the season, he averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game for the Sooners in a seriously impressive Freshman campaign for Oklahoma. He led his team in scoring more often than not, and showed maturity beyond his years with his performances.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will run through some of the clearest comparisons to already established NBA talents, with Fears drawing similarities to some of the brightest young point guards currently in the competition.

Jaden Ivey – Detroit Pistons

Although Ivey is still early in his NBA tenure, he has steadily progressed since joining the top level with the fifth overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft. Now a key member of a rising Detroit Pistons squad, Ivey is averaging 17 points per game in the 2024/25 season, and is one of the best scorers on the team. Like Fears, Ivey has some serious explosiveness and can put plenty of pressure on the rim. Both players came into their draft years with concerns around their jumpshot, but Ivey seems to have alleviated these queries, and now slots into the shooting guard position alongside Cade Cunningham. Fears is different in the sense that he is a bit more of a playmaker than Ivey, but the bounce and lateral movement is very similar between the two.

Scoot Henderson – Portland Trail Blazers

Another point guard who is only a couple of years into his NBA career, the two players are very similar prospects heading into the draft, and Fears will be hopeful of heading on the same trajectory as Henderson. After being selected with the second pick in the 2023 NBA Draft (behind only Victor Wembanyama), Henderson was a slow burn on a Portland roster that was stacked full of backcourt talent. However, he seems to be hitting his straps in his second season, and has delivered several standout performances that showcase his ceiling, including an impressive 39-point outing. Both players and explosive point guards who possess remarkable vision and an innate ability to finish at the basket, and they both have extremely high potential.

Monta Ellis – Golden State Warriors

Although Ellis was part of a Warriors squad that did not quite reach the same level of success as the era that followed, he was still a seriously impressive scorer throughout his time in the NBA. After being named the Most Improved Player in 2007, he became one of the best scorers in the competition, averaging nearly 25 points in two separate campaigns and like Fears, did not rely on jumpshots to consistently generate scores, instead he drove to the basket and used his athleticism to avoid contact from opponents. Although Fears has more upside than Ellis admittedly, the young gun has plenty of similarities on the offensive end.