Will Cook County News

By Claude Martinez.

Brooklyn, NY – On Wednesday, June 25, former Joliet West High School (Joliet, IL) standout Jeremiah Fears (18), a point guard (6’4″), was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans as the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

“Congratulations to former Tiger basketball player Jeremiah Fears on being drafted 7th tonight,” wrote Joliet West’s Athletic Director Steve Millsaps on June 25.

Fears played two seasons (2021–2023) with the Joliet West Tigers before transferring to Arizona Compass Prep National (Chandler, AZ).

“Your hard work, dedication, and relentless pursuit of greatness have paid off in a big way,” wrote Joliet West Head Coach Jeremy Kreiger on June 25. “It’s been an absolute privilege to watch your growth from junior high to Joliet West to this incredible milestone. You’ve made your family, your community, and all of us who’ve been part of your journey incredibly proud. Wishing you continued success at the next level — this is just the beginning!”

While at Compass Prep, he appeared in 13 games, averaging 14.2 points, 2.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game.

He later made the decision to forgo his senior year of high school, but that choice did not derail his path to success.

Fears went on to attend the University of Oklahoma (2024-2025), a Division I program.

Although he didn’t start in his first three games with the Sooners, he still managed to score 42 points in those outings. He then started 31 of the next 34 games, finishing the season with 581 points, an average of 17.1 points per game, along with 4.1 assists per game and 56 total steals during his freshman year.

Following this standout season, Fears was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors four times. His performance helped secure his place as the No. 7 overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2025 NBA Draft.

NBA training camps are expected to begin on October 1, 2025.

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