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OU guard Jeremiah Fears declares for NBA Draft

Bob Przybyloby:Bob Przybylo•04/02/25•

BPrzybylo

Jeremiah Fears36
OU guard Jeremiah Fears. (Alonzo Adams - Imagn Images)

He had been giving small hints in the last weeks via social media, but now OU freshman guard Jeremiah Fears has made it official.

The Sooners star announced he will leave Norman and declare for the NBA Draft.

The move, obviously, comes as a shock to absolutely nobody. What Fears did during his one season with the Sooners was incredible. And what he did down the stretch was even more impressive.

Fears scored at least 20 or more points in four of the final five games. His resurgence was a major reason why the Sooners were able to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years.

Fears averaged 17.1 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He also added 1.6 steals per contest and shot 43 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line.

A freshman that was thrown in there against the wolves of the SEC and still played more than 30 minutes per game.

“I look back on just his youthfulness when he got here, not having played at this level, and then just how he grew and grew and grew,” head coach Porter Moser said. “Then I look at when the start of the SEC, it seemed like everyone tried to come for his head. I look at his growth through that, fighting through hard. It was hard the way he started off. It wasn’t easy for him, and he fought through that by getting in the gym more, watching more film, being coached. He’s just so not entitled. I can’t tell you how much was thrown his way for a young man, and he’s so not entitled.

“He’s such a great teammate, and he was a joy to coach and watch his growth—especially in an older league like this. It’s one thing to reclassify, but then you’re going into the SEC with a lot of older guards. His learning curve, he just really got better all year.”

Fears wasn’t even a starter to initially begin the season. That, of course, changed as Fears started to become a name to watch across the nation.

Following a 30-point effort in a win against Michigan in December, his NBA stock took off. From a borderline first round pick to now almost an unquestioned lottery prospect.

Fears did take some bumps, especially early in the SEC. However, as Moser said, Fears fought his way through it. He adapted, adjusted and was darn-near unstoppable for the Sooners when they needed him most.

Fears has said his favorite OU player is former point guard Trae Young. Everybody remembers Young’s one year in Norman and how special it was.

Like Fears, the initial thought wasn’t for Young to be one-and-done. But it couldn’t happen any other way. Fears’ career at OU was short-lived, but he made his impact. It’s time to move onto the next level.

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