Kentucky’s Mark Pope eyes 4-star guard Jeremiah Fears following decommitment from Illinois

By Aman Sharma

Modified Jul 02, 2024 16:03 GMT

Kentucky has shown immediate interest in four-star recruit Jeremiah Fears, who recently reopened his recruitment for the 2024-25 season. Fears, previously committed to Illinois, ranks as the 26th overall recruit and the fifth-best point guard in the 2025 class.

Image Credit: X/@Jeremiah Fears

Just hours after reopening his recruitment, Fears received his first confirmed contact from the Kentucky Wildcats with a call from head coach Mark Pope. The four-star point guard shared the news on social media on Monday evening. Fears originally committed to Illinois on January 22, choosing them over Providence, Kansas, Ole Miss and Michigan.

Expressing his gratitude, Fears thanked the Illinois community for their support.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank the Illini nation for all the love and support they have given me and my family during my recruitment and after my commitment," he wrote.

Kentucky, with 12 of 13 scholarship spots filled for the 2024-25 season, has room to add Fears if he reclassifies to the 2024 class. The Wildcats have already secured commitments from three freshmen — Collin Chandler, Trent Noah and Travis Perry — along with seven transfer additions.

Coach Pope and his staff have been active in the transfer market. Adding Jeremiah Fears would further strengthen Kentucky's backcourt and provide another dynamic scoring option. Announcing his decision to reopen his recruitment, Fears stated:

"With that being said, after further consideration and meaningful conversations with my family, I’ll be reopening my recruitment and exploring other opportunities."

The Arizona Compass Prep standout, originally from Joliet, Illinois, is now poised to reclassify to 2024 and enroll for the upcoming season. As the top available high school prospect for 2024-25, Fears is expected to draw interest from top programs.

Jeremiah Fears weighs reclassification as top guard prospect

Jeremiah Fears, a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Joliet, Illinois, and currently playing at Compass Prep in Arizona, is ranked No. 38 in the Class of 2025 by 247 Sports and No. 32 in the industry-generated Composite rankings. Although he committed to Illinois in January, he has yet to finalize his decision, as he told reporters during the live period in May.

Illinois already has several guard options, including Kylan Boswell, Kasparas Jakucionis, Ty Rodgers and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn. Jeremiah Fears' performance on the EYBL circuit this spring showcased his abilities, as he averaged 17.0 points per game and shot 42 percent from the field. He has also made significant strides as a playmaker over the past year.

"Playing up (on the 17U circuit) last year, I think it helped me a lot with this year. I think the game has become a little easier for me," Fears told the Illini Inquirer in April. "I think my defense has come a long way over the last year. Also, being a point guard and leading my team and just winning."

Jeremiah Fears recently contributed to the USA Basketball U18 team that secured the gold medal at the FIBA AmeriCup, where he averaged 6.5 points and 3.0 assists per game.