Jeremiah Fears (born October 14, 2006) is an American college basketball player for the Oklahoma Sooners of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
| No. 0 – Oklahoma Sooners | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Point guard / shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
| League | Southeastern Conference | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | October 14, 2006 Joliet, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 182 lb (83 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school |
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| College | Oklahoma (2024–present) | ||||||||||||||
Medals
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High school career
editFears played basketball at Joliet West High School in Joliet, Illinois as a sophomore with his older brother, Jeremy, prior to transferring to AZ Compass Prep for his junior year.
Recruiting
editFears became a consensus four-star prospect and was tabbed as a top-25 guard in the 2025 ESPN 100. On January 22, 2024, he committed to Illinois over offers from Providence, Kansas, Michigan, and Ole Miss.[1] However on July 1, Fears decommitted from Illinois. After decommitting from Illinois, he committed to Oklahoma and reclassified into the 2024 class.[2]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah Fears PG/SG |
Joliet, IL | Arizona Compass Prep (AZ) | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 182 lb (83 kg) | Jul 20, 2024 | |
Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 88
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| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 44 247Sports: 64 ESPN: 40 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
editDescribed as an effective ball handler and a dynamic scorer, Fears joined an empty 2024–25 Oklahoma Sooners backcourt following the transfers of starters Javian McCollum, Otega Oweh, and Milos Uzan.[2]
Freshman season
editOn November 4, 2024, Fears debuted for Oklahoma, recording 16 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals off the bench against Lindenwood.[3] He continued to come off the bench until the Sooners' fourth game against East Texas A&M on November 21 where he tallied a game-high 20 points.[4] In the 3-game November 27–29 2024 Battle 4 Atlantis, Fears led Oklahoma to an upset win over No. 24 Arizona in the semifinals, posting a then season-high 26 points, along with 5 rebounds and 5 assists.[5] Fears, alongside teammate Jalon Moore, led Oklahoma to the championship, averaging 18.7 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.7 steals, earning himself all-tournament team honors and being named on December 2 as the SEC Freshman of the Week.[6] On December 14, Fears posted 17 points and 5 assists in an 80–65 victory over rival Oklahoma State.[7] On December 18 against No. 24 Michigan in the 2024 Jumpman Invitational, Fears posted a career-high 30 points, including a game-winning four-point play after being fouled on a made three-pointer with 11.5 seconds remaining.[8]
National team career
editFears was named to the United States Under-18 basketball team at the 2024 FIBA Under-18 AmeriCup, marking his first national team debut.[9] He averaged 6.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a team-high 3.0 steals as Team USA won the gold medal.
Personal life
editFears' father, Jeremy Fears Sr., played college basketball at Ohio and earned Mid-American Conference All-Freshman accolades in 2005 before transferring to Bradley. His older brother, Jeremy Fears Jr., plays college basketball for Michigan State.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Five-star junior Jeremiah Fears commits to play for Illinois". espn.com. January 22, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
- ^ a b "Jeremiah Fears commits to Oklahoma, will reclassify". espn.com. July 20, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Oklahoma Sooners vs Lindenwood Lions Box Score, November 4, 2024". espn.com.
- ^ "Oklahoma Sooners vs East Texas A&M Lions Box Score, November 21, 2024". espn.com.
- ^ "Oklahoma Sooners vs Arizona Wildcats Box Score, November 28, 2024". espn.com.
- ^ "Fears Named SEC Freshman of the Week". soonersports.com.
- ^ "Oklahoma Sooners vs Oklahoma State Box Score, December 14, 2024". espn.com.
- ^ "Oklahoma Sooners vs Michigan Wolverines Box Score, December 18, 2024". espn.com.
- ^ "2024 USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team Announced". usab.com. May 28, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "2024-25 Men's Basketball Roster - Jeremiah Fears Bio". soonersports.com. Retrieved December 16, 2024.