University of Oklahoma Athletics
Fears Selected to SEC All-Freshman Team
March 10, 2025 | Men's Basketball
NORMAN — Turning in one of the best statistical first-year seasons in University of Oklahoma men's basketball history, freshman guard Jeremiah Fears was named to the five-person SEC All-Freshman Team on Monday.
Fears, who turned 18 in October, was joined on the squad by Texas' Tre Johnson, Georgia's Asa Newell, Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford and Alabama's Labaron Philon.
On the season, Fears, a 6-4, 182-pound product from Joliet, Ill., is averaging team highs of 16.3 points, 4.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and ranks third on the squad with his 4.1 rebounds per contest. He is the only SEC player, regardless of class, and one of just two freshmen nationally (Duke's Cooper Flagg is the other) to average at least 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Fears, a four-time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree who has played in all 31 games and started each of the last 28, already ranks fifth in OU freshman history with his 504 points (trails just Trae Young [876], Wayman Tisdale [810], Jeff Webster [640; redshirt] and Willie Warren [525]). He ranks second among OU freshmen with his 160 free throw makes, fourth with his 48 steals and fifth with his 129 assists.
Originally a member of the 2025 recruiting class who reclassified to the 2024 class, Fears leads the SEC's freshmen in free throws made (160; next most is 106) and free throws attempted (188; next most is 120). He ranks second among the league's freshmen in scoring, assists, steals and free throw percentage (.851) and third in rebounds. Among all SEC players, Fears ranks second in free throw makes and third in attempts (188).
Fears' resume is full of standout performances this season. In a Nov. 28 Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals win over No. 24 Arizona, he registered 26 points (was 4 for 7 from 3-point range), five rebounds and five steals. He was named to the all-tournament team after OU went 3-0 and won the title.
Against No. 24 Michigan at the Jumpman Invitational on Dec. 18, Fears finished with a then-season-high 30 points on 8-for-12 shooting with four 3-pointers. He became the first OU true freshman since Young against West Virginia on Feb. 5, 2018, to score 30-plus points in a game. His four-point play with 11 seconds remaining marked the final points in an 87-86 OU win.
In OU's Feb. 22 win over No. 21 Mississippi State, Fears became just the second Sooner and just the second SEC player in the last 29 seasons to register at least 27 points, at least 10 assists and at least five rebounds in a game. The only other Sooner to accomplish the feat since at least the 1996-97 season was Young. The other SEC player to do it was Auburn freshman point guard Sharife Cooper during the 2020-21 season.
Last Wednesday in OU's 96-84 triumph over No. 15 Missouri, Fears scored a career-high 31 points on just 13 field goal attempts. He was 9 for 13 from the field and made all 12 of his free throw tries (his 12 makes tied a career high). He added four rebounds, five assists and a steal while committing a career-low one turnover.
Over the last six contests, Fears is averaging 20.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists. He is the only player in the SEC this season to average at least 20.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists over a six-game stretch (only five other SEC players have done it over the last 10 seasons; LSU's Ben Simmons, Kentucky's Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, LSU's Tremont Waters, Alabama's Kira Lewis Jr. and Auburn's Sharife Cooper). Only two other Sooners have accomplished the feat going back to the start of the 1996-97 season (Trae Young in 2017-18 and Austin Reaves in 2020-21).
No. 14 seed Oklahoma (19-12, 6-12 SEC) meets No. 11 seed Georgia (20-11, 8-10) in a first-round SEC Tournament game on Wednesday at approximately 8:30 p.m. CT inside 19,395-seat Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The winner will play No. 6 seed Kentucky on Thursday at approximately 8:30 p.m. Both games will be televised by SEC Network.
Fears, who turned 18 in October, was joined on the squad by Texas' Tre Johnson, Georgia's Asa Newell, Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford and Alabama's Labaron Philon.
On the season, Fears, a 6-4, 182-pound product from Joliet, Ill., is averaging team highs of 16.3 points, 4.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and ranks third on the squad with his 4.1 rebounds per contest. He is the only SEC player, regardless of class, and one of just two freshmen nationally (Duke's Cooper Flagg is the other) to average at least 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Fears, a four-time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree who has played in all 31 games and started each of the last 28, already ranks fifth in OU freshman history with his 504 points (trails just Trae Young [876], Wayman Tisdale [810], Jeff Webster [640; redshirt] and Willie Warren [525]). He ranks second among OU freshmen with his 160 free throw makes, fourth with his 48 steals and fifth with his 129 assists.
Originally a member of the 2025 recruiting class who reclassified to the 2024 class, Fears leads the SEC's freshmen in free throws made (160; next most is 106) and free throws attempted (188; next most is 120). He ranks second among the league's freshmen in scoring, assists, steals and free throw percentage (.851) and third in rebounds. Among all SEC players, Fears ranks second in free throw makes and third in attempts (188).
Fears' resume is full of standout performances this season. In a Nov. 28 Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals win over No. 24 Arizona, he registered 26 points (was 4 for 7 from 3-point range), five rebounds and five steals. He was named to the all-tournament team after OU went 3-0 and won the title.
Against No. 24 Michigan at the Jumpman Invitational on Dec. 18, Fears finished with a then-season-high 30 points on 8-for-12 shooting with four 3-pointers. He became the first OU true freshman since Young against West Virginia on Feb. 5, 2018, to score 30-plus points in a game. His four-point play with 11 seconds remaining marked the final points in an 87-86 OU win.
In OU's Feb. 22 win over No. 21 Mississippi State, Fears became just the second Sooner and just the second SEC player in the last 29 seasons to register at least 27 points, at least 10 assists and at least five rebounds in a game. The only other Sooner to accomplish the feat since at least the 1996-97 season was Young. The other SEC player to do it was Auburn freshman point guard Sharife Cooper during the 2020-21 season.
Last Wednesday in OU's 96-84 triumph over No. 15 Missouri, Fears scored a career-high 31 points on just 13 field goal attempts. He was 9 for 13 from the field and made all 12 of his free throw tries (his 12 makes tied a career high). He added four rebounds, five assists and a steal while committing a career-low one turnover.
Over the last six contests, Fears is averaging 20.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists. He is the only player in the SEC this season to average at least 20.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists over a six-game stretch (only five other SEC players have done it over the last 10 seasons; LSU's Ben Simmons, Kentucky's Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, LSU's Tremont Waters, Alabama's Kira Lewis Jr. and Auburn's Sharife Cooper). Only two other Sooners have accomplished the feat going back to the start of the 1996-97 season (Trae Young in 2017-18 and Austin Reaves in 2020-21).
No. 14 seed Oklahoma (19-12, 6-12 SEC) meets No. 11 seed Georgia (20-11, 8-10) in a first-round SEC Tournament game on Wednesday at approximately 8:30 p.m. CT inside 19,395-seat Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The winner will play No. 6 seed Kentucky on Thursday at approximately 8:30 p.m. Both games will be televised by SEC Network.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballNBA Draft: Jeremiah Fears R1, P7 – Pelicans
Thursday, June 26
Make Your Case: Kobe vs Steph
Monday, June 02
MBB: It's Time to Dance
Friday, March 21
Porter Moser Selection Sunday
Sunday, March 16
