Not many guys work quite as hard as Jeremy Fears Jr. and the NBA draft process is proof of that. Not only did he play at an elite level during NBA Combine scrimmages, but he’s been working on the weakest part of his game and it’s already paying off.
Fears has not been the best shooter over the past couple of seasons in East Lansing, but that area of his game had been improving before he set sail for the NBA draft process.
The All-American point guard did add a consistent mid-range jumper during his sophomore season, but he saw his 3-point shot regress. That’s obviously a concern for NBA teams who may be willing to take a chance on him late in the first round or early in the second. Teams won’t want an undersized point guard who can’t shoot the ball.
However, during recent reported private NBA workouts, Fears “excelled” and he “willed himself into real first round talks” according to BTN analyst Rapheal Davis who’s close with the family.
How did he do it? By showcasing an improved shooting touch.
Hearing my boy went 74/100 in a shooting drill was the best part of the call.
— Rapheal Davis (@RaphealDavis3) May 20, 2026
Understanding that was the knock on his game, his shooting display was more than encouraging. Jeremy Fears Jr. has willed himself into real 1st round talks, and I’m not surprised at all.
Kid is a dog. https://t.co/r5GAXjPyBR
I know what everyone is thinking: it’s not that difficult to shoot 70-plus percent when no one’s guarding you, but a lot of these drills have relaxed defensive simulations. There are several shooting drills where there’s a “dummy” defender who puts a hand up to simulate in-game situations even on wide-open attempts.
Making 74-of-100 jumpers is impressive no matter how you slice it. You have to at least have a good feel for your jumper at that point.
Spartan fans are starting to sweat a little bit.
All it takes is one team to believe in Jeremy Fears
Michigan State fans have seen this story before. Teams show interest in players during the draft process so they believe that they’re going to get a first-round grade but they slip a bit despite leaving early (Aaron Henry, Marcus Taylor Max Christie, Deyonta Davis) but sometimes a team will swoop in and make a promise to draft a prospect.
All it takes is one team making that promise to Fears and we can kiss his Michigan State career goodbye. He’s not going to turn down a sure contract if it’s there.
A few weeks ago, we all felt pretty good about Fears coming back and even after his NBA Combine scrimmages where he put up some numbers, he still had things to work on. It wasn’t until Fears and his dad tweeted about the process and no one knowing what’s best for him but him that fans started to really worry about losing him.
I still believe he returns, but these reportedly dominantly private workouts are not quelling the uneasiness within the fanbase.
Everyone wants Fears to succeed and if he leaves and finds success, no one can be upset. However, if he leaves and doesn’t get selected until the late second round, it will feel like a Tre Holloman-like punch to the gut. It would be Marcus Taylor 2.0.
I don’t see him leaving unless a team makes him a first-round promise.
Add us as a preferred source on Google