SNAPSHOT

A talented combo guard who has a tendency to produce big-time plays and attacks the rim with serious intent, Jeremiah Fears has been electric for the Oklahoma Sooners and is looming as a top-five selection for the 2025 NBA Draft.

With an excellent feel for the game, strong playmaking and a high level of competitiveness and drive, Fears would be a welcome addition for an NBA side that is building and in need of a guard with high production and plenty of energy to match.

DRAFT PROFILE

After growing up in Illinois, Fears was a consensus four-star recruit and initially agreed to join his home state's program, before decommitting from Illinois and joining the Oklahoma Sooners, making him the best guard prospect to come out of the school since Trae Young.

Initially coming off the bench for the Sooners, Fears immediately made a name for himself and was injected into the starting lineup. From there, the guard led Oklahoma to an upset win over Arizona in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament and eventually played a key role in securing the championship.

Although unable to make a splash at the 2025 NCAA National Tournament, Fears still had impressive month of play in February, recording his first double-double of 27 points and 10 assists in a win over Mississippi State in his best performance at collegiate level.

Throughout the 2024/25 season, the 18-year-old averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 43.4 per cent from the field, 28.4 per cent from behind the arc and 85.1 per cent from the free throw line in a strong campaign.

By the time he declared for the 2025 NBA Draft last month, he had firmed as a top-five contender and was viewed by many as the second best guard in the draft behind only Dylan Harper. If he can find his feet as quickly in the NBA as he did in the NCAA, he will be an immediately impactful player.

STRENGTHS

• Excellent driving to the rim
• Playmaking in pick and rolls
• Clutch performer
• Shooting upside

IMPROVEMENTS

• Perimeter shooting
• Decision-making

As a guard, Fears has an excellent ability to finish at the cup, and has been able to challenge even the tallest of defenders in the NCAA. With a superbly tight handle and explosive speed paired with strong lateral quickness, he is a nearly impossible defensive task at times given how difficult it is to stay in front of Fears, especially when bigs clear out and give him space.

As a playmaker, he operates well in pick and rolls, which also feeds into his driving ability. He uses screens to create space in halfcourt sets, and if he can become a stronger shooter off the dribble, it will become a seriously big weapon for Fears on the offensive end.

Fears has also shown a knack for stepping up in big moments, knocking down countless crunch time shots for the Sooners in the NCAA. He loves the big moments and is not afraid to wave off his teammates and take the responsibility himself. Although the going might be a bit tougher in the NBA on this front, already having clutch tendencies is a huge positive.

His perimeter shooting does need work, shooting just 28.4 per cent from behind the arc throughout his collegiate career. If he can improve this area of his game, it will force the defence to respect him on the perimeter and open up the opportunity to burst past the defender when they press up to face guard him above the arc.

Fears is also prone to committing sloppy turnovers, with a poor assist-to-turnover ratio throughout his time in an Oklahoma jersey. The decision-making does trickle into his shot selection too, attempting some wild layups and floaters at times, so if he can improve his choices with ball in hand, it will tidy up his game a lot.

DRAFT PROJECTION: Top six

While not quite a lock for the top five, it is hard to see Fears sliding any further than the sixth selection in the draft, given his excellent creativity and production on the drive. Despite being one of the youngest freshmen in the country, he still found his feet in the NCAA almost immediately, and he will be looking to make a similar leap when he reaches the NBA.