Illinois Recruit Jeremiah Fears Has 14 Points In Loss To Cooper Flagg-Led Team
Illinois recruit Jeremiah Fears was already at a disadvantage.
But he made things interesting before his team fell against the nation's No. 1 recruit Cooper Flagg and Montverde Academy Thursday night. Fears finished with 14 points on 6 of 15 shooting but his Compass (Ariz) Prep team 64-49 fell in the quarterfinals of the Chipotle Nationals at Brownsburg (Ind.) High School.
Fears helped his team grab a lead at the end of the first half before things fell apart. Flagg helped his team win the third quarter 25-5. That was enough for them to cruise to an easy victory. Still, the Fears was impressive in the defeat. He is the only Illini recruit for the 2025 class and is expected to contribute immediate once he arrives on campus.
Fears, a junior at AZ Compass, is a major reason for the team's 20-6 record this season. The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 14.2 points and 2.5 steals in 13 games. Meanwhile, Flagg is committed to playing for the Duke Blue Devils after a monstrous career at Montverde. He is averaging 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in his final year for the 31-0 Eagles. He is projected to go within the top three picks in 2025 NBA mock drafts.
Montverde won 58-46 when the teams met earlier this season. In the game, Fears finished with 13 points while Flagg recorded 12 points on 42 percent shooting. The Eagles were expected to win in comfortable fashion as the favorites to win the tournament.
SHANDEL RICHARDSON