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While Illinois Awaits Today's Will Riley Decision, Jeremiah Fears Still Working In The Gym

Shandel Richardson|
Dec 1, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Compass Prep guard Jeremiah Fears (2) drives to the basket against Wasatch Academy center Augustine Ekwe (44) during the Hoophall West High School Invitational at Chaparral High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 1, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Compass Prep guard Jeremiah Fears (2) drives to the basket against Wasatch Academy center Augustine Ekwe (44) during the Hoophall West High School Invitational at Chaparral High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Illinois Fighting Illini basketball world is wrapped up with the Will Riley news today.

He is set to choose between five schools on an Instagram Live session this afternoon. The Illini are among the finalists, joining Kentucky, Alabama, Arizona and the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL. Riley, who plays at The Phelps School in Malvern, Penn., is rated the No. 26 prospect by ESPN.

Even if the day ends with disappointment, the Illini have plenty to smile about when it comes to recruiting. Guard Jeremiah Fears, who has given Illinois a verbal commitment, spent the weekend working out on the campus at Michigan State.

No, fans, there is nothing to worry about.

Fears was putting up some shots with his brother Jeremy, who is entering his sophomore season with the Spartans. The two posted a series of videos on X, formerly Twitter, showing they were working out in the wees hours of Sunday morning.

"If I don’t do nothing else I’m going to live in that lab," Jeremiah Fears captioned the post.

Fears is one of the top players in the Illini 2025 recruiting class. He recently completed helping U19 Team USA win FIBA AmeriCup in Argentina. Fellow Illini recruit Morez Johnson, who will enroll this fall, was also on the team.

Fears, who is a rising senior at AZ Compass, was a major reason for the team's 20-5 record last season. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 14.2 points and 2.5 steals in 13 games. 

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here