The 2025 NBA Draft commences on Wednesday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and everything is trending toward Sooners point guard Jeremiah Fears going inside the top 10 of the draft.

Fears, who played just one season for Oklahoma, was the catalyst to OU’s return to the NCAA Tournament. It was Oklahoma’s first trip to March Madness since 2020-2021. Fears led the Sooners in points, assists, and steals in his true freshman season and, in the process, catapulted both the Sooners to their best season under Porter Moser and Fears into the draft lottery.

In USA TODAY Sports final NBA mock draft, the experts have Fears going No. 6 overall to the Washington Wizards.

Solid start to his freshman season; quick on the dribble; has strength going to the rim and can finish; operates well in the pick-and-roll as a scorer and passer; needs to improve his 3-point shot but potential is there. Fears scored a season-high 31 points and added five assists and four rebounds in a win against ranked Missouri. Fears had a strong SEC tournament, producing 29 points, six rebounds and five steals plus five turnovers in a victory against Georgia and 28 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals (just one turnover) in a loss to Kentucky. He generated 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in a NCAA Tournament first-round loss to UConn. – USA TODAY Sports

Fears was a fast riser in draft circles throughout the 2024-2025 season. He’s a dynamic guard that’s able to get into the paint consistently and is a good finisher at the rim. Fears has great speed and is a good distributor of the basketball.

He’s going to make a really good NBA player and has a really high ceiling as he continues to develop his game.

The last time the Oklahoma Sooners had a player taken in the first round of the NBA Draft was Trae Young in 2018. Blake Griffin in 2009 and Buddy Hield in 2016 are the only other first-round selections since Mookie Blaylock went No. 12 to the New Jersey Nets back in 1989.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Jeremiah Fears going top 10 in USA TODAY Sports final NBA mock draft