NBA Draft Rumors: Scouts Want Jeremiah Fears to Improve 'Lapses in Decision-Making'

NBA scouts reportedly want to see Oklahoma guard and highly-touted 2025 draft prospect Jeremiah Fears improve his "lapses in decision-making" as he and the Sooners enter the NCAA tournament, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

"Fears has been one of college basketball's best freshmen despite being one of the youngest players in the country (he turns 19 in October)," Givony wrote. "His combination of size, speed, pace, shot creation prowess, shotmaking and scoring instincts is intriguing for his age, as he gets virtually anywhere he wants on the floor, either to create opportunities for teammates dishing on the move, finish skillfully in the lane or get to the free throw line in bunches.

"Lapses in decision-making and inconsistency defensively and as a perimeter shooter are the main things scouts want to see Fears improve on long-term, along with his lack of strength, which is not a surprise considering his youth."

The latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has Fears going ninth overall to the San Antonio Spurs.

Fears has averaged 17.0 points (43.6 percent shooting), 4.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game for the Sooners, who earned a No. 9 seed in the NCAA tournament.

He's posted some big games since Feb. 22, when he had 27 points and 10 assists on Feb. 22 against Mississippi State. Fears added 31 points against Missouri before lighting up the SEC tournament for 29 points against Georgia in the first round and 28 points versus Kentucky in the second round.

Yes, Fears has things to work on, but as Givony noted, it's not a surprise given his age. He's not even done with his first year in college but has shown tremendous potential that can suit him well on the next level.

At any rate, it's certainly possible he keeps this hot streak up and raises his draft profile even more. He'll get that shot Friday at 9:25 p.m. ET against No. 8 seed UConn in the first round.