After two strong performances, Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears took home SEC Freshman of the Week honors for the third time this season after averaging 24.5 points, six assists, and five rebounds on 52.5% shooting from the field and 45% shooting from behind the arc on 13 attempts.

In Oklahoma’s first matchup of the week against No. 2 Florida, Fears totaled 22 points, five rebounds, and two assists. His three-point shot has been dubbed a question mark by many, but in that game, he shot the ball very well from deep, going 4-8. Fears was also efficient in the 34 minutes he played, going 7-15 from the field.

In a huge matchup on Saturday against No. 21 Mississippi State, he recorded his first career double-double and propelled the Sooners to victory. Fears finished with 27 points, a career-high 10 assists, five rebounds, a steal, and a block. His efficient shooting from the field continued, as he was 7-12 and 2-5 from behind the arc. Additionally, he did damage from the free-throw line, attempting 14 free throws and making 11 of them.

“He had 10 assists, but I think he could have had 15 or 16 tonight,” said Porter Moser after the 93-87 win on Saturday. “It’s the most he’s set up guys, and it’s the most points he’s had in a while. And I think he’s the correlation of understanding, 'hey, if they’re going to double me, I gotta get it out of that trap fast.'

“I thought he played such a better floor game, with better process, of teaching, tons of film work with him, situational stuff. He’s also confident scoring. He’s always been confident, he’s never not been confident scoring. But I think some things are freeing up for him because he’s setting up other guys, and now they just can’t load up on him.”

One notable aspect over the past two games is that Fears has played 34 and 37 minutes, respectively. On Saturday, he played all 20 second-half minutes. Moser has also adjusted his rotation, now playing Fears for the first eight minutes instead of taking him out at the first media timeout. This tweak has seemed to allow Fears to get even more comfortable.

What makes the Joliet, Illinois, native’s performance even more impressive is his usage rate. At 31.4%, it is not only the highest among all freshmen in the country but also the highest in the SEC. Additionally, it’s the third-highest among all high-major players.

This just shows how much the true freshman — who should technically still be in high school — is relied upon by his team. That stat also highlights the impressiveness of his most recent performances. In the two games where he has played the most in conference play, he has managed to limit his turnovers to just three each game despite being used more than any other player in the SEC.

The usage rate statistic underscores how vital Fears is to his team. Oklahoma goes as Fears goes, and on Saturday, he pushed them to a huge Quad 1 win over Mississippi State, greatly boosting their tournament chances.

The Sooners (17-10, 4-10) now need two more wins to feel good about their tournament hopes, and the hope is that Fears’ strong play will continue as they face No. 17 Kentucky on Wednesday night at home and Ole Miss on Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi.

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