Sooner Nation already knew how special Oklahoma freshman guard Jeremiah Fears is, but even some of the biggest names in sports were getting that lesson Friday night.
The 9-seed Oklahoma Sooners lost to the 8-seed UConn Huskies 67-59 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night, but even in the loss, Fears won over some new fans.
Fears led all scorers in the game with 20 points. He also added four assists, five rebounds and two steals. And while in control of the ball as a freshman on the biggest stage in college basketball, he had only two turnovers.
Social media was buzzing early about Fears when he drove in and hit a spin move to get around a UConn defender before dumping in a left-handed layup.
Another look at the gorgeous spin move from Jeremiah Fears 🔥#MarchMadness @OU_MBBall https://t.co/pSuBWDckiT pic.twitter.com/qMzrpBXOKz
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 22, 2025
Fears then had another highlight that went viral when he got up and attempted a dunk over a poor, much taller UConn defender.
Jeremiah Fears! Didn't know he had this in him. pic.twitter.com/WB44msdBQQ
— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) March 22, 2025
Just like Sooner Nation and the rest of the college basketball world, ESPN sports personality Stephen A. Smith was also witnessing what Fears was doing in his first and only NCAA Tournament game that was a close one the whole way.
In his only college basketball-related post on X during March Madness, Smith took time to praise Fears and exclaim how special he thinks Fears is.
People’s, I don’t know who’s gonna win this @UConnMBB vs @OU_MBBall basketball game. It’s that close/thrilling. But I DO KNOW there is a star who’s busted onto the scene. His name is @jeremiahfears2. This brother is something special. And I’m not just saying that because we share…
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 22, 2025
Fears' college career is likely over after just one season as a projected lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. He entered the NCAA Tournament as the Sooners' leading scorer, averaging 17 points a game as a freshman. He scored at least 20 points in the final three games of his season.