With less than a week for early entrants of the NBA Draft to remove their names, a clearer picture has begun to arise as how things will shake out next month.
In fact, it’s almost exactly a month away. The draft is scheduled to take place June 25 and 26 plenty of intrigue remains as to who will go where. Well, outside the top three, anyway.
Former Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears put his name into the mix more than a month ago. He has been a staple inside the top 15 on just about every draft since. On Friday, USA TODAY Sports provided its latest mock draft, and Fears’ chances of going in the lottery look awfully good.
According to the mock draft, Fears is projected to go to the Washington Wizards with the No. 6 overall pick.
“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,” wrote authors Jeff Zillget, Lorenezo Reyes and James H. Williams.
That’s similar to where Fears landed in ESPN.com’s mock draft earlier in the week. There, Fears was projected to go No. 5 to the Utah Jazz. In USA TODAY’s, that spot belongs to Texas guard Tre Johnson.
The top four picks are the same in both mocks. Duke‘s Cooper Flagg is a unanimous No. 1 pick everywhere, followed by Rutgers’ Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, then Baylor’s VJ Edgecomb.
Fears played one season at Oklahoma before turning professional. As an 18-year-old freshman who classed up one year to get a jump on his collegiate career, Fears averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in helping the Sooners to their first NCAA Tournament since 2019.
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