NBA Mock Draft: Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears new to top five
Jeremiah Fears' NBA Draft stock just keeps rising.
ESPN.com's latest NBA mock draft projections have the former Sooners guard going No. 5 overall in next month's NBA Draft. Fears has moved up six spots since he first announced his intention to enter the fray.
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Fears' move upward comes after the NBA Draft Combine's conclusion over the weekend. The 6-foot-6 guard earned praise for his offensive ability both scoring and distributing the basketball.
"His combination of size, speed, pace, shotmaking and shot creation gives him significant long-term upside, as he can get anywhere on the floor to create for teammates, finish skillfully in the lane or head to the free throw line," Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo wrote in their analysis of former OU star.
Fears spent just one year in Norman, and that came after he reclassified to become a part of the 2024 class. He'll still be 18 years old when he's drafted, making him one of the youngest players in the draft. The one year with the Sooners, though, was spectacular.
He averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in his first and only season. Those numbers helped Oklahoma to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
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The four players projected to be selected in front of Fears remained unchanged. Former Duke forward Cooper Flagg is projected to go first overall to the Dallas Mavericks, followed by two ex-Rutgers players in Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs) and Ace Bailey (Philadelphia 76ers). Former Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe is projected to go fourth overall to the Charlotte Hornets.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears projected to go top-five in NBA Draft
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