March Madness fans should be familiar with or at least aware of the Oklahoma Sooners. The 9th seeded team faced the 8th seed Uconn Huskies in the first round on March 21st. Despite a strong performance, the Sooners were defeated, losing 67-59. There were good moments during the matchup, such as Mohammed Weagues taking Kyle Lowry-esque charges and Jalen Moore’s offensive surge in the second half. However, the one who truly stood out from the pack was point guard Jeremiah Fears. He led the team with 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists in the Sooners heartbreaking loss. Regardless, Fears’ performance will not be the last we’ll see from him.
The Oklahoma 6 ‘4 All-Freshman guard has announced that he will declare for the 2025 NBA Draft. Although bad news for Oklahoman Sooner enthusiasts, this is actually a great decision for him. A lot of NBA scouts have projected him to go No. 7 in the draft. That’s a high pick that shows that the league sees potential in Fears. His performance in the tourney supports this projection, but for those unfamiliar – what is his true playstyle?
Jeremiah Fears is a mid range specialist – he can pull up, step back, and can do floaters. He’s very jittery when it comes to attacking the rim, showing explosiveness and craft. His handle is tight which helps him break down defenders off the dribble. Fears also a solid on-ball defender and a good playmaker who is willing to create for others.
The only issues are that he’s very streaky, and his decision-making has led to turnovers. He’s not a good three point shooter with a lukewarm jump shot. However, considering he’s 18, the development to make him a complete NBA player will come in time.
There are a bunch of teams in the league that I feel will definitely need Jeremiah’s skillset. The Sacramento Kings could be a good spot because they need a guard who can facilitate and structure a proper offense, as Demar DeRozan and Zach Lavine are too on-ball-heavy. The Miami Heat is a great fit as they have a historically great development pipeline(Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, etc.), and he could be molded into a CP3-styled guard while still being involved in the team-oriented style of Coach Spo.
But the best team that incorporates him would be the Orlando Magic. They already have a defensive presence, with Jalen Suggs as the anchor and the scoring machine duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. However, they seriously need a true point guard that can up the pace and can create his own shot. A skill area that Jeremiah Fears is fantastic at but it might take a while for him to be involved. However, the amount of good young players and veterans can guide Fears into the right direction.
Overall, whoever selects him for the draft is going to be rewarded. Jeremiah Fear has a lot of good attributes that could potentially help him become a rotation player in this league. Oklahoma Sooner will have tears for Fears and his departure – but the point guard has a bright future if all cards are pulled correctly.
