Jeremiah Fears: Scouting Illinois' Latest Commitment

Jeremiah Fears is the first commitment for Illinois in the 2025 class. The 6-foot-2 point guard at Chandler (AZ) AZ Compass is originally from Joliet, Illinois, playing last season with his brother – Michigan State freshman Jeremy Fears – at Joliet (IL) West High. 

Fears’ final five schools included Illinois, Providence, Ole Miss, Michigan, and Kansas. During the process, he took official visits to Illinois and Providence. This season, Fears is leading his AZ Compass team in scoring on Nike’s EYBL Scholastic Circuit. He is averaging 12.3 points. 4.0 rebounds, and 2.1 steals while shooting 43.0 percent from the field. 

Fears is the No. 35 ranked player in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking. He is the No. 8 point guard in the 2025 On3 150. 

Let’s take a look at what Jeremiah Fears is bring to Illinois

Jeremiah Fears Scoing Punch

Jeremiah Fears is a confident scorer of the basketball. He is aggressive in getting downhill and plays with good balance. His footwork allows him to rise up whenever he feels he has an advantage over his man, as he is most comfortable in the mid-range but is a capable scorer from each level. 

As he advances forward, Fears is going to have to continue working on his decision-making. This arises mostly off a live dribble, both with his shot selection and his passing reads. At this point, Fears would prefer to score the ball. His ability to quickly get downhill gets him into favorable areas on the court. The reads will grow through reps.

Fears is aggressive off the bounce and able to regularly get into the teeth of the defense. He is a good athlete with quick-twitch and explosive pop. He has a solid array of counters off the bounce to navigate when defenses cut off his path. Fears has a consistent release on his shot and is capable of getting hot and ringing off a lot of points quickly. He has performed at the highest levels of high school basketball, he has a natural foundation in place.

The Mental Toughness

No matter the setting, Jeremiah Fears feels that he is the best player on the floor. He brings an alpha mentality with him and wants the ball in his hands to make a play. Oftentimes, Fears is capable of making plays off the bounce, creating shot opportunities for his team. 

There is a competitive fire as well for Fears, that you can tell he wants to win. Continuing to learn how to harness that competitiveness and gear it toward consistent positive plays will be the next step in his growth. However, as it is, you would rather ramp a player down than have to bring them up.

The competitive fire also shows up for Fears on the defensive end. He is a purposeful point-of-attack defender, using his quick hands and feet to guard the ball in the open floor and in the half-court. 

Fears and Illinois

Brad Underwood has brought in a lead guard in each of the last couple of classes. Skyy Clark and Jayden Epps have already transferred out of the program, and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is playing less than nine minutes per game this season. 

This season, Illinois is lengthy, fluid, and versatile. They are playing a lineup mostly of guys who are between 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-10 and switchable. While Fears does not fit that mold, he does fit the more traditional guard setting that Underwood has utilized throughout his career. 

Looking at the roster, specifically the 2024 class, Fears is a natural fit beside Jase Butler. Butler is a sturdy guard with a natural feel and good size. Both players would be able to initiate, create, and score it. Add in Gibbs-Lawhorn and that is a nice trio of dynamic guards in consecutive classes.