Nov 28, 2024; Paradise Island, Bahamas, BHS; Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears (0) drives to the basket past Arizona Wildcats forward Carter Bryant (9) during the first half in the Imperial Arena at the Atlantis Resort. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
One of the most surprising freshman in the country this season has been Fears, who has been a day-one impact piece for the Oklahoma Sooners. He’s been a huge catalyst in their success and oozes with confidence despite always being the youngest player on the court. He’s a natural leader who brings poise beyond his years and plays with an alpha mentality.
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Fears is an aggressive offensive player who has confidence in his abilities. That’s one of the reasons his game has translated so quickly at the college level and should give NBA teams similar optimism moving forward. He’s a great athlete who boats good length and explosiveness.
He’s best when he can take his defender off the dribble and get the opposing defense moving, at which point he can get to his spot and score or set up teammates with his facilitation and playmaking chops. Fears is a three-level scorer who is effective with both hands and plays either guard position but will likely play a lead role at the next level. He has quality dribble moves and a handle that creates space with creativity. The decision-making and shot selection could be better at times, but that’s expected of an 18-year-old freshman in the SEC.
Inconsistency is also expected from a player of Fears’ age, which is why it isn’t uncommon for his scoring to be hot and cold. While he can get going in a hurry, there’s also times in which his shot just isn’t falling. In those moments, the Sooners guard needs to continue proving he can impact the game in other ways.
The competitiveness of Fears is clear on the defensive end, as he always takes his assignment personally. As good as he is on the offensive end, he also wants to ensure he wins on defense, too. He has quick hands and has upside as a point-of-attack defender given his length and motor. Fears needs to get stronger and brush up his natural processing on that end, but that comes with collegiate reps. The tools are all there for Fears.
Given he reclassified in high school, Fears is an extremely young prospect. He will still be 18 on the night of the 2025 NBA Draft and won’t turn 19 until right before the start of the 2025-26 season. His brother Jeremy Fears is a sophomore at Michigan State and was also a significant recruit coming out of high school the year before him.
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Christmas is nearly here, but are you done with Christmas shopping? You still have a few days left, and we know that so many people face the annual challenge of what to buy someone who has everything, or is hard to buy for.
News 9 spoke to Von Maur representative Mathew Burniga to learn how to wrap up your Christmas shopping.
NORMAN, Okla. — Derrion Reed scored 22 points, Xzayvier Brown finished with 18, and Oklahoma set the program’s single-game record for field-goal percentage on Monday night as the Sooners beat Stetson 107-54 on Monday night.
Oklahoma shot 67.8% (40 of 59) from the field and had its highest-scoring game since a 107-86 win over Arkansan-Pine Bluff on Nov. 30, 2023. The previous record was 66.1% (39 of 59) against Baylor on Feb. 26, 2005.
The Sooners made 12 of 24 from 3-point range, outrebounded Stetson 39-24, and outscored the Hatters 54-18 in the paint.
Mohamed Wague had 15 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma and Tae Davis added 12 points and six assists. Kuol Atak and Nijel Pack each scored 11 points.
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Ethan Copeland, the only Stetson (4-9) player who scored in double figures, had 14 points.
Oklahoma (9-3) used runs of 15-3 and 10-2, the latter of which culminated with a Jadon Jones three-point play that gave the Sooners a 26-11 lead a little more than eight minutes into the game.
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Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Another offensive lineman from Oklahoma’s heralded 2024 group of freshman has decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Third-year sophomore tackle Isaiah Autry-Dent announced Monday on social media that he’ll be entering the portal when it opens on Jan. 2.
“I’m truly grateful for the incredible, life-changing experience I’ve had at the University of Oklahoma,” he wrote. “The dedication of the staff, the camaraderie with my teammates, and the unwavering support from the fans have made this journey unforgettable. I’ve learned lessons on and off the field that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and I’m thankful for every moment, every challenge and every triumph along the way.”
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Dent added that he’s “given it a great deal of thought and prayed for guidance” but intends to leave OU with 3-4 years of eligibility remaining and is “excited about exploring new opportunities to continue growing as a player and as a person.”
After much prayer and family talks, I’ll enter the transfer portal on January 2 with three years of eligibility left. Thank you #SoonerNationpic.twitter.com/AM15EMHlHV
Dent was one of five offensive linemen signed in the 2024 class, and he’s the third one to leave, joining Eugene Brooks and Josh Aisosa. After just two seasons, only Eddy Pierre-Louis and Daniel Akinkunmi remain.
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Dent was listed at 304 pounds as a true freshman but in July checked in at 317 pounds — the biggest overall weight gain of any offensive player, which was a reflection of his hard work and dedication as the OU offensive line made an offseason mandate to get bigger and stronger.
Last spring, senior center Troy Everett was asked to assess Dent’s progress following his freshman season.
“Isaiah works hard,” Everett said. “Isaiah’s going to be great. Isaiah, right now, he’s just got to get comfortable when he’s out there, but that goes for every young guy.”
Read More Transfer Portal News
OU Transfer Portal Tracker Oklahoma LB to Enter Portal What Positions Must Oklahoma Address in the Portal?
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Dent played in just one game — against Maine — and logged just 26 snaps on offense and nine snaps on special teams during the 2024 season, then didn’t get on the field at all in 2025.
The former 3-star prospect from Fulton, MS, is a second cousin to former OU running back Marcus Dupree. His mother, Pashen Dent-Autry, was a two-time national champion basketball player for Tennessee legend Pat Summitt.
Autry was a consensus 3-star prospect coming out as a high school All-American at Itawamba Agricultural High School, where he was a 6-foot-7, 300-pound standout.
Autry picked the Sooners over Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and Ole Miss, among others, and could have plenty of options.
