In July, 2023 four-star guard Jeremy Fears Jr. signed with Overtime Elite (OTE) while waiving his salary to maintain his college eligibility. Fears has since decided that he has other plans.

He recently announced that he will be returning to his hometown of Joliet, Illinois for his senior season. Fears has re-enrolled at Joliet West, where he began his high-school career a little over three years ago. He spent the previous two seasons at La Lumiere in La Porte, Indiana.

This time around at Joliet West, he will be teaming up with his little brother, Jeremiah. Jeremiah, a sophomore, is one of the elite guard prospects in the 2025 class and holds several Division I offers, including Illinois, Michigan, and Michigan State.

The return of Fears will immediately make Joliet West a favorite in the state of Illinois and is a huge win for the state in general. The state of Illinois has lost many of their top-ranked players to national powerhouses in recent years. Illinois will happily welcome back Fears, who is again the state’s highest ranked player, for his last year before he heads to college.

Fears committed to Michigan State back in January and has reassured Spartans fans that he will still attend the school after the conclusion of his senior year.

Nicknamed “The Floor General”, Fears is every bit of that on the court. Standing at about 6’2, the point guard is known for his leadership, tremendous passing abilities in the open court and his tenacious on-ball defense. All it takes is one watch of Fears to realize how much pride he takes on the defensive end of the ball and how he’s just an overall winning player at the end of the day.

Fears played his grassroots ball with Indy Heat and was perhaps the best and most important player on the Fiba U17 team that won the World Cup back in July. He did just about everything for the squad, from commanding the offense, to scoring big when needed, to picking up defenders full-court and turning defense into easy baskets on the other end.

It’s clear that he’s solidified himself as one of the best guards in the country this year with his performances both on the circuit and at Fiba. Fears, alongside his brother, will now look to bring a state championship to his hometown, Joliet.