Oklahoma got off to an amazing start to the year as they went undefeated in non-conference play. As they entered conference play, they struggled a good bit.
The Oklahoma Sooners have five wins and 12 losses in the SEC making them a bottom three team in the conference. Despite some struggles in the conference, they still have a chance to make the NCAA tournament.
A big reason why they have found any success this season is due to their young freshman point guard Jeremiah Fears. The 6-foot-4 lead guard is currently averaging 16.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 44.4% from the field, 27.5% from behind the arc and 84.8% from the free-throw line. Let’s dive into his strengths and biggest areas of improvement.
Fears’ ability to create off the dribble is excellent. He has a very tight handle, a great change of speed and great burst. The combination of these three skills allows him to consistently get by his defenders with ease.
He does a great job of creating spacing off the dribble and consistently getting paint touches at will. This is a big reason why he has drawn some comparisons to guys like Jaden Ivey and Scoot Henderson who made a living off their rim pressure and blow-by ability.
His ability to create plays off the dribble is very impressive. Fears does a very good job of creating for teammates. He has the ability to make advanced reads off the dribble and at full speed. The talented lead guard is a crafty player that does a great job of creating for teammates. His vision is advanced and feel for the game is quite impressive.
There are some noticeable flaws in Fears game. His outside shooting can be a bit erratic. He’s shooting below 30% from behind the arc. As a point guard he must improve as an outside shooter. Outside of some shooting issues he’s a bit turnover prone.
That’s quite common as a young point guard, but still something he must improve upon as he matures and gets older. The decision-making needs to be more sharp around the edges.
Fears is a high upside point guard and that shows a lot of promise. The athletic and physical tools are enticing for a lead guard. If he continues to show improvements as a shooter and decision-maker then he could reach a whole nother level.
He is currently projected as a lottery pick and depending on how the month of March goes, he could end up as a top ten pick. This will be a big month and off-season for the talented point guard.
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