Donning a checkered crimson suit, diamond studded earrings, blue sunglasses and two gigantic silver chains — one displaying his last name, the other flashing his jersey number, zero — Jeremiah Fears' facial expression was blank as he stood up from his seat at Barclays Center.
However, as the hugs and congratulations continued to cascade — from his brothers and parents, from his agent, former NBA player Mike Miller, and from Oklahoma men’s basketball coach Porter Moser — eventually, Fears cracked a smile. A dream realized finally set in.
How Jeremiah Fears, projected lottery pick in 2025 NBA Draft, changed OU basketball's trajectory
Fears, the one-and-done Oklahoma point guard, was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans with the No. 7 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
A 6-foot-4, 182-pound talent from Joliet, Illinois, Fears averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game in the 2024-25 college season. Fears and Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick of the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, were the only freshmen in the country to post those averages last season.
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NBA Draft Basketball
Jeremiah Fears poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected seventh by the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the NBA Draft. Adam Hunger, Associated Press
Fears shot 43.4% from the floor, 28.4% from 3-point range and 85.1% at the free-throw line in his lone campaign. with the Sooners. He led Oklahoma to a 20-14 record and its first NCAA Tournament appearance in four years under Moser’s leadership.
Now, he’s the fourth OU men’s basketball player to be selected in the Top 10 of the NBA draft in the last 20 years, joining Blake Griffin (No. 1, 2009), Buddy Hield (No. 6, 2016) and Trae Young (No. 5, 2019).
It was announced prior to the draft that Fears has signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Adidas. He hopes to earn his own signature shoe with the apparel company in the future.
He’ll have the chance to do that and more as the expected future face of a retooling franchise in New Orleans. As he embarks on a new journey with the Pelicans, he intends to remain an ambassador for OU hoops, as well.
"Man, it means the world to me," Fears said on the ESPN draft broadcast, "just being able to kind of go out here and show the world what Oklahoma basketball can bring, and continuing to take steps in the right direction."
NBA Draft Basketball
Jeremiah Fears is the fourth OU men’s basketball player this century to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft, joining Blake Griffin, Buddy Hield and Trae Young. Adam Hunger, Associated Press
mason.young@tulsaworld.com
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