Oklahoma freshman guard Jeremiah Fears is averaging 16.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and a team-high 4.2 assist a game for the Sooners this season.

For Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl, he was hoping to see those same numbers next season in ‘The Jungle’. Fears originally in the 2025 recruiting class, classed up to play in the 2024 college season.

“Jeremiah Fears is a great story. This summer, we were recruiting him, and I got to know his dad a little bit,” Pearl said Monday afternoon. “He played this past summer, going to be a senior. He was destroying everybody. I mean everybody. We were recruiting him for next year and next thing you know, he reclassifies and he’s going to Oklahoma.”

Fears is shooting 46.8% from the floor this year. In his last outing he finished with 21 points, six rebounds and four assist in a 97-67 victory over the then No. 24 Vanderbilt Commodores.

Oklahoma is 54th in the country averaging 80.2 points per game. Fears has six games where he finished with 20 or more points scored.

His 30-point career high was topped off with a game-winning basket in an 87-86 victory over No. 24 Michigan.

“You talk about Oklahoma’s roster turning around in a heartbeat. He is, on the draft boards, a potentially top 10-15 pick. So, he’s different,” Pearl said. “Obviously, he’s got to be the focal point of any scouting report.”

Pearl has other connections with Oklahoma starters Duke Miles and Jalon Moore. Both hailing from the state of Alabama, Miles chose to play at Oklahoma over Auburn and Moore transferred in this year from Georgia Tech.

Auburn guard Miles Kelly and Moore played alongside each other while at Georgia Tech. He is currently the Sooners leading scorer averaging 18.2 points and 6.0 rebounds.

“We offered and wanted Duke Miles, and he chose Oklahoma over us,” Pearl said. “Jalon Moore is really having a great year. [Miles Kelly] remembered him being a good player, great athlete, but has transferred to Oklahoma and really developed. And again, a really tough cover.”

Auburn’s matchup against Oklahoma is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Tuesday and will be streaming live on the SEC network.