The NBA draft is months away, but the scouting process has already begun as college basketball is in full swing.
In every draft class, there are high-profile prospects who come into college with the expectations of being a lottery pick in the upcoming cycle. Chet Holmgren, for example, was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school and spent one season at Gonzaga before being selected with the second overall pick.
In most years, though, there are also a handful of players who are under the radar to start the season, but catapult themselves into lottery conversations with solid performances. Jalen Williams was largely unknown before the 2022 season, but a strong year helped the Santa Clara product leap into the top 12 picks.
Nine games into the 2024-25 campaign, Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears has asserted himself as an intriguing NBA draft prospect.
"Jeremiah Fears has been one of the NCAA's best freshmen," ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony wrote on social media. "Helping Oklahoma to an 9-0 start at 18-years old while shouldering a staggering 33% usage rate. His combination of size, speed, shot creation, scoring instincts and upside makes him a potential lottery-level prospect."
Jeremiah Fears has been one of the NCAA's best freshmen, helping Oklahoma to an 9-0 start at 18-years old while shouldering a staggering 33% usage rate. His combination of size, speed, shot creation, scoring instincts and upside makes him a potential lottery-level prospect. pic.twitter.com/Cp5kh5cNZu
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) December 10, 2024
Fears is averaging 16.7 points, 4.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game while shooting 46.9% from the field and 30.3% from beyond the arc. The Sooners' star guard was originally a member of the 2025 recruiting class, but reclassified to graduate from high school in 2024 and join Oklahoma's roster a year earlier.
After reclassifying, Fears was rated the No. 64 overall prospect and No. 9 combo guard in the nation, according to 247Sports.
While Fears would need to improve as a 3-point shooter to fit seamlessly in Mark Daigneault's offense, Fears' shot-creation ability and defensive effort could be a solid addition to the Thunder's bench unit.
Additionally, Fears' youth could be enticing to Sam Presti and company, who have drafted young, high-upside prospects as recently as 2024. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 182 pounds, Fears has the size to be a solid guard option off the bench in the NBA, and could add a scoring punch to OKC's second unit.
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