Jeremiah Fears
After reclassifying a year to attend college early, Fears impressed in his lone season at Oklahoma, showing his ability to make plays as a high-usage lead guard in a historically competitive conference. His handle is smooth and he’s a quick driver who is always a threat to beat his man off the dribble and force defenses to rotate. He’s a bouncy athlete around the rim but can be a bit wild when attacking the basket, leading to some underwhelming efficiency numbers. Fears showed signs of being a dynamic score-first guard, but he lacks consistency as a shooter and has a murky projection as a defender.
Strengths:
Confident ball-handler with the ability to shake defenders and open up lanes to the rim.
Flashed the ability to set up his teammates with off the dribble passes.
Played some of his best basketball in big games late in the season.
Confident shooter off the dribble who can create open looks from three and the mid-range.
Quick hands on defense with the ability to force turnovers.
Weaknesses:
Needs to become more efficient as a jump-shooter and finisher at the rim.
Low release on his jump-shot, would benefit from speeding up his mechanics.
Can be loose with the ball in traffic and needs to clean up turnovers.
Doesn’t project as a high-impact defender at the next level with physical limitations and questionable effort.
Needs to refine his off-ball skills after playing a ball-dominant style in college.