Good Morning, Illini Nation: What to know about Jeremiah Fears before his visit
Jun. 18—Welcome to "Good Morning, Illini Nation," your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He'll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood's team:
Class of 2025 guard Jeremiah Fears will be on campus in Champaign on Tuesday. It's a notable visit for Illinois given Fears' standing in the Class of 2025 — On3 has him as a four-star recruit and top 40 overall prospect — and the fact the Illini recruited his older brother, Jeremy, before seemingly backing away and seeing the 2023 News-Gazette All-State Player of the Year wind up at Big Ten rival Michigan State.
June 20th Champaign IL
— Jeremiah Fears (@jeremiahfears2) June 15, 2023
The younger Fears had a rather impressive 2022-23 season himself. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound sophomore point guard averaged 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals at Joliet West. He has since, of course, announced he's transferring to Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) for his junior season — a similar move to one his brother made in spending two seasons at La Lumiere (Ind.) before coming back to the Tigers last year.
Illinois isn't the only team pursuing Jeremiah Fears, of course. His has basically been a high major recruitment from the jump. The Illini were one of the first to offer in September 2021, and he has other offers from Ohio, Xavier, Michigan State, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Oregon, Gonzaga, Arizona State, Georgia, Arizona and Providence.
Fears played up an age group for Brad Beal Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit. He played a key role for a balanced team that went 14-3 in the four spring sessions and put up 9.4 points, 3.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 37 percent overall, 29 percent from three-point range and 89 percent at the free throw line.
