Brad Underwood has eye for talent, as New Orleans Pelicans draft former commit

The NBA Draft is giving great athletes a chance to shine at the brightest stage and highest level of the game.

On Wednesday night, multiple Illini players will hear their name called, but there was one player who was drafted that didn’t quite make it to Champaign.

With pick No. 7 in the first round, the New Orleans Pelicans selected guard Jeremiah Fears. To some Illinois fans, this doesn’t sound like a name anyone should care about. But let’s examine this selection a little further.

Fears isn’t just any old player getting drafted. He is a 6-foot-3 guard who can do everything on the court. He grew up in Joliet, Illinois, but would later transfer out to Compass Prep in Arizona to finish out his high school career.

In January 2024, Fears, a top 50 recruit, committed to Illinois. Yes, he was ready to take the reins in Champaign and lead Illinois to the promised land. One thing led to another, and in July 2024, Fears jumped ship and ended up with Oklahoma.

Sam Lance of Zagsblog wrote about the decommitment of Fears back in July 2024. The quote he pulled from the young guard read the following.

“It was just something I talked about with my family,” Fears said. “We felt like it was an opportunity to explore. I feel like I kind of committed early as well. So that was one of the main factors that played a part in that. And then I just felt like there were other options. So we have been exploring other options as of right now.”

I would be lying to you if I didn’t say this one kind of stings. While I liked the players Illinois was able to get last season, having Fears could have helped set us apart and maybe gotten us deeper in the NCAA tournament. Now, Fears is a top 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Jeremiah Fears getting picked in the top 10 of the NBA Draft shows you the eye Brad Underwood has for talent

I know there were quite a few teams after Fears when he was being recruited. Brad Underwood did manage to pull him in and get a commitment out of Fears, though.

On top of the Fears commitment, Underwood was also able to land two other likely first round picks in Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley. The latter was a five-star, so he was projected to be a draft pick regardless. Jakucionis was someone who was kind of flying under the radar.

I am happy for Fears getting drafted. I always have a soft spot for Illinois kids heading to the NBA. And when I think about it, Underwood clearly has an eye for talent. I can’t wait to see what Fears can do on the court.