Jeremiah Fears leading Oklahoma into national conversation, building NBA Draft stock

Oklahoma was not mentioned many times during the preseason, mostly viewed as a bottom-third SEC team with a ceiling somewhere around the NCAA Tournament bubble. That has all changed in the past two months, as Jeremiah Fears helps the Sooners maintain an undefeated start.

The early returns for Fears at Oklahoma have caused all of college basketball to rethink expectations. Now, the reclassified point guard has gone from “Is he ready to play college basketball?” to “Is he an NBA Draft lottery pick?” with a quickness.

Here is a look at how Fears got to this point, what makes him great, and how he can further impress this season.

Breaking down Jeremiah Fears

The younger brother of Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr., Jeremiah Fears has long been on the radar of college basketball coaches as a potential point guard prospect. The timeline moved up when he decided to reclassify from 2025 to 2024.

Originally committed to Illinois, Fears opened his recruitment and committed to Oklahoma in late July. The quick turnaround changed the shape of a late-developing Sooners roster which did not finalize until months before the season.

Once locked in, Fears and his teammates have done nothing but win. Now 11-0, they stand as one of four undefeated teams left in college basketball.

Fears has had plenty to say in that success, averaging 17.9 points and 4.6 assists. He also boasts 2.3 steals per game, along with a 25.1 PER in non-conference play.

Continuing to be a guard who can get his own, without his eyes getting locked on the rim to the detriment of his teammates will be important for all parties to continue success as the competition level increases.

Efficiency has also remained high for the young freshman, shooting 49.6-percent from the field, 34.1-percent from 3, and 85.9-percent on free throws.

His ability to maintain numbers in that range when Oklahoma goes from the non-conference schedule to a full slate of SEC games could prove the difference between Fears becoming a lock in the lottery of the 2025 NBA Draft or him having a decision to make next season.

Listed at 6-foot-4, his size should not prove a problem for teams. However, if he comes in below that mark, it will be important to showcase his defensive ability against guards of all sizes in the coming months.