Could Jeremiah Fears be the Second Lead Initiator Taken in the 2025 NBA Draft?

The Oklahoma guard was phenomenal in his freshman season.

Mar 21, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears (0) puts up shot against Connecticut Huskies forward Liam McNeeley (30) during the second half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images / Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Oklahoma freshman guard Jeremiah Fears was absolutely electric this season for the Sooners, an elite scoring talent with added distribution abilities who reclassified into the 2024 class last summer and flipped his commitment from Illinois to OU.

He burst onto the scene and further established himself as a top-notch combo guard at 2024 Nike Peach Jam, and came into collegiate basketball hyped, though he would quickly outgrow these expectations and become a bonafide lottery pick. He averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in his one-and-done campaign with Oklahoma this past season, and has shot up draft boards due to his high upside both on and off the ball.

The top lead initiator in this draft is Dylan Harper of Rutgers, but after him, there are a few candidates to be the next point guard taken. Fears seems to have staked his claim for second in this category, based on a functional handle, shooting off of the bounce, and playmaking on a live dribble.

He had a few standout performances in SEC play this year, including 31 points against Missouri on March 5, where he went 9-for-13 from the field and 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. He also dropped 30 against Michigan, 29 against Georgia and 28 versus Kentucky in the SEC tournament, and had a 27-point, 10-assist double-double in their February 22 upset over 21st-ranked Mississippi State.

Plenty of teams need Fears' abilities, including the Brooklyn Nets, who badly need offense as one of the worst scoring teams in the league last season. Toronto is another team that could use his services, as could San Antonio. Of course, we won't know the exact lottery order until Monday, May 12, which will obviously affect where he lands. The Draft, on June 25-26 in New York City, will see Fears have his name called in the high lottery likely due to his elite mix of skills.

Alongside the aforementioned Harper, as well as Illinois' Kasparas Jakucionis, Ratiopharm Ulm's Ben Saraf, Michigan State's Jase Richardson, and Saint-Quentin's Nolan Traore, Fears helps to make up an elite crop of guard talent that could have an imapct early on their careers at the NBA level.

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