Sam Vecenie explains dilemma with Jeremiah Fears’ draft stock

Although proving himself as a prospect as a freshman this year in Norman, Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears may need another year in college for one expect.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic recently spoke about Fears’ stock for the 2025 NBA Draft on the ‘Game Theory Podcast’. While currently projecting him as a lottery pick himself come June, Vecenie thinks Fears could use another collegiate season despite knowing it likely wouldn’t happen if he were to be selected in the first few picks.

“So, like, I – look, I have him in the lottery. I don’t feel, like, fantastic about it. I do have him in the lottery,” said Vecenie. “I do genuinely still think it would help his long-term development to probably go back to school for another year. But, like, you can’t do that if you’re going to go in the top-ten or if you’re going to go in the lottery or wherever.”

During his college debut with the Sooners, Fears has averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 3.8 turnovers a game. He’s doing so while posting splits of 46.9% from the field and 28.1% from three on 1.1 triples per. That has the former four-star in the top 10 overall in scoring and assists in this freshman class this season.

All of that, specifically his craftiness, so far has shown scouts and people in the pros what Fears could be in the NBA.

“Like, Fears is really skinny and really fast. His first step is awesome. He also has really good last-step acceleration. That’s actually the thing that, like, I get really impressed with most. Like, he gets to that area, like, on his gathers, like, really quickly,” said Vecenie. “I had like one NBA executive bring up the name Monta Ellis with me. That’s kind of an, it’s kind of an interesting one.”

“Like, the thing I would say, though, about Fears is Fears’ first step at, like, six-foot-four gives him just, like, more inherent upside…Like, his ability to get downhill and create shots at the rim is really sick. Like, he is awesome – awesome, awesome, awesome – at getting downhill and getting to the basket,” Vecenie continued. “He understands how to, like, get in through those creases and cracks in the defense. He understands how to find these little areas to be able to get to his spots. I think he’s super, super impressive.”

Still, Vecenie has concerns in Fears’ game. Some of those are his size, his shooting ability, and his turnovers. All of that could hurt how he’d transition to the next level as early as next year. That could all come with time, though, with more development before going pro.

“Like, Fears is not a great shooter. He turns the ball over a ton. I worry about what this would look like in the NBA next year,” said Vecenie. “Like, I don’t really buy Fears all that much as a finisher yet. I don’t buy him as a mid-range scorer. I don’t buy him as a shooter quite yet.”

“I think he could get there on those skills down the road, like, for sure. Those are things that he can absolutely improve and I don’t mean to, like, rule those out long-term. Like, I think he has building blocks in all of those areas, for sure,” Vecenie noted. “I just think that next year would probably be quite difficult for him to succeed in the NBA…It’s just – I think that, like, the skills need to really improve for him to be successful early at the end of the day.”

Fears has been one of the better guards, let alone ones in their first year, this season and, as such, has become a prospect who could hear his name in the lottery this summer. It’s just whether or not he is fully ready for that step which, to Vecenie, he may not be yet.