Oklahoma freshman Jeremiah Fears will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility and enter this year’s NBA draft, he announced Wednesday on ESPN.
“I was lucky to walk into a great situation at Oklahoma with a lot of opportunity,” Fears said on ESPN’s “The Paul Finebaum Show.” “I had great teammates and coaches working with me every day to help a young freshman achieve his dreams.”
Fears, who turned 18 in October, is widely expected to be a first-round prospect in the draft, potentially in the top 10 picks.
Fears told ESPN he will spend the coming months training for June’s draft in New York City with his agent, former NBA player Mike Miller.
“It’s great to be able to learn from someone like him,” Fears said. “We’re working on a lot of shooting, ball-screen reads, continuing to be a leader and finding the right balance between scoring and creating for others.”
A native of Joliet, Ill., Fears shot 43.4 percent from the field while averaging 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 34 games (31 starts) for the Sooners.
“This year has been an incredible journey, and I am grateful for all the love and support I have received from the OU fan base,” Fears wrote in a social media post Wednesday. “I want to express my gratitude to coach (Porter) Moser and the entire coaching staff, who believed in me and allowed me to showcase my abilities at the University of Oklahoma.”