Illinois Basketball: Jeremy Fears Jr. could be the next great Illini point guard

I have mentioned this many times and I will mention it again, the class of 2023 is huge for the Illinois basketball team.

Over the past couple of years, the Illini have had teams good enough to make back-to-back NCAA tournaments. They are poised to make it three in a row this season. Not having a drop-off from this great success is going to be key, though. That is why a player like Jeremy Fears Jr is so crucial to the future of the program.

Fears is a 6-foot-1, 165-pound point guard from La Lumiere School and resides in La Porte, Indiana. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 27 player in the class of 2023. He is also the No. 7 point guard in the nation and the best player coming out of Indiana.

I am a little late to this party, but this past weekend, Fears decided to narrow the scope of his recruitment. He ended up cutting his list of potential suitors down to just eight teams. The eight programs vying for his commitment include Missouri, Memphis, Kansas, Indiana, Michigan, UConn, Michigan State, and Illinois.

Illinois basketball is still alive for an elite player in Fears.

Fears’ offer list was extremely impressive. The seven other programs Illinois is competing against to land Fears are extremely tough as well. This will not be an easy recruitment to win by any means.

Despite some tough teams being in the mix, Illinois does have the location chip in their favor. Fears transferred from Joliet West in Illinois in late 2020 to go play for La Lumiere, which is a nationally recognized basketball powerhouse.

So, Fears has a chance to play for his home state program in Illinois. The Illini also sports a competitive team year in and year out now. They couldn’t wield this recruiting chip just five years ago, but Brad Underwood has shown he can keep the Illini in the mix every season.

Beyond Illinois have a legit shot to land a top 30 recruit, the fact we are even in the mix is exciting. Fears is a supreme talent who could end up leading Illinois to a national title.

If you have a chance, go check out some clips of Fears on the basketball court. The overall physical build of the point guard is impressive. Fears uses that great build to drive the lane and finish at the hoop. He isn’t just a one-man show, either. He is always making the best play for the team. I also think he has a solid mid-range shot.

Getting in the top eight for Fears is a big step in the right direction. He wouldn’t just be a top 30 recruit coming to Champaign, but he could also be the leader of a national title winning team with the Illini. Let’s make this happen.