Terps eyeing another Chicago point guard as potential Smart successor
Aquan Smart’s career at Maryland is just getting started but the Terps are already considering bringing in another Chicago floor general to fill his shoes when his four years of eligibility expire as they extended an offer to class of 2023 point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. on Friday.
Fears Jr. helped Joliet West finish with a 29-4 record this past season after the team won just five games the previous year. He averaged 6.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, five assists and two steals per game while drawing a team-best 34 charges, and has picked up offers from Iowa State, DePaul, Nebraska, Creighton and Kansas State since the end of the season. He also recently participated in the Brad Beal Elite combine where he impressed with his vision and unselfishness.
While it may seem little early in the recruiting calendar for Maryland to target rising sophomores, it makes sense for the staff to get a head start on finding Smart’s successor after they struggled to find a replacement for four-year starter Anthony Cowan this past cycle prior to Smart’s commitment in late February.
Smart, who went into his final high school season without any Power Conference offers, had a breakout performance against Fears and Joliet West in December. With Niles North trailing by 11 late in the third quarter, he scored 18 of his game-high 38 points in the fourth quarter to lead his team to an improbable 77-72 victory over Joliet West. Facing off against Smart was presumably a tough task for Fears, but he got better and saw his playing time increase as the year went on, helping the Tigers overcome several key injuries in January and February to win seven of their last eight games. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound guard displayed many of the same characteristics as Smart down the stretch, including a willingness to get after it on both ends of the court and a strong work ethic.
Chicago, which has a reputation for producing rugged recruits, is one of several new recruiting areas where Maryland is trying to build relationships. The Terps’ offer to Fears Jr. came two days after another Windy City recruiting target, class of 2021 four-star wing Isaiah Barnes, committed to Michigan. Smart reached out to Barnes immediately after Maryland offered him in late March, and he could play a role in Fears’s recruitment as well, not just through phone calls but his play on the court. Smart has yet to arrive in College Park due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he’s already setting expectations high for himself, quote-tweeting a graphic that featured Maryland point guard legends Greivis Vasquez, Steve Blake, John Lucas, Melo Trimble and Cowan with the caption, “My picture up there next.”
Maryland assistant Matt Brady led the charge for Smart and could take the lead in Fears’s recruitment as well. But Fears Jr. also has an interesting connection with Terps assistant DeAndre Haynes, who has Midwestern roots and squared off against Fears’ father when they were at MAC schools Kent State and Ohio, respectively. Jeremy Fears Sr. spent time at Bradley and USC-Aiken as well before playing professionally overseas from 2008-2010.
Fears Jr. is the third known class of 2023 recruit with a Maryland offer, joining Huntington Prep (WV) guard Maki Johnson and Gill St. Benard’s (NJ) forward Mackenzie Mgbako.
