Jeremiah Fears' path to the NBA an inspiration for Porter Moser, Sooners
NORMAN — Before Oklahoma’s 102-66 win over St. Francis in Monday’s season opener at Lloyd Noble Center, the team traveled a few miles north to Paycom Center.
The Sooners got to watch former OU guard Jeremiah Fears take on the Oklahoma City Thunder as a new member of the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. Fears, who was selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2025 draft, finished with 16 points and four rebounds in the Pelicans’ 137-106 loss to the Thunder.
For OU players like Dayton Forsythe, Mohamed Wague and Kuol Atak, it was a chance to watch their former teammate play at the next level. For the newcomers, it served as inspiration for what it takes to play in the NBA.
“It was real cool,” Moser told OUInsider. “In all honesty, there are certain events that I’m like, ‘All right guys, we have to go to this.’ That was not one of them. They were all excited to be there. They waited around a long time. I got there early, got to talk to him. It’s awesome.”
“… They saw a path (to the NBA). And they loved the way that Fears was. He was so not entitled, such a great teammate, just what we’re about. It was really cool to see that yesterday.”
Fears was a standout player in his lone season at Oklahoma. He averaged 17.1 points and four assists last season as the Sooners made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.
While Fears is off to the NBA, he’s still remained a staple for the program. Before the NBA season began, Fears attended a practice alongside former OU stars Trae Young and Buddy Hield. The trio even participated in scrimmages against the Sooners.
“It was great for us,” Miami transfer Nijel Pack told OUInsider last month. To be able to play five-on-five against them and continue to get better, because those guys are really talented players in the NBA. For us to be able to play against them and compete, it only makes us better.”
During Pack’s transfer portal recruitment last offseason, Moser showed him clips of Fears with the Sooners last season and how the Sooners could utilize him in similar ways. That played a big role in landing Pack, who finished with 16 points in the season-opening win over St. Francis.
“I think it impacted it a lot, only because really how detailed Porter was with how he used him in a way to make him look better,” Pack said. “There’s always flaws in everybody’s game, but Porter used his strengths and really maximized those types of things, and he was telling me the same thing. He was showing different clips of me and ways he could maximize my strengths as well. It just makes you look better.
“I feel like if he can do that type of stuff for all of us, it just makes the team better in general.”
Fears’ journey to the NBA has been used a lot by the Sooners, particularly as they begin this season. The Sooners landed four highly-touted players in the transfer portal, and Moser is tasked with integrating the newcomers alongside the returning players.
For Moser, the message has been focusing on a “simultaneous path” that includes players being focused on both the team and making it to the NBA, just like Fears.
“These guys have come in working, not entitled, wanting the right things,” Moser said. “We talked about it in recruiting. You know, you say up front — you’re being naive if you (don’t) talk to a recruit nowadays and say, ‘Oh, I know you want to get to the NBA.’ They all do, you’re naive avoiding the subject. What we talk about is, let’s go on a simultaneous path. Let’s have this path of getting you better, helping you get to the next level. But the simultaneous path… let’s be special with the team and win. We talked about that before they even committed.
“… Guys want to play in the NBA. Let’s talk about it. Let’s say, how are you going to get there? It’s going to be a simultaneous path. These guys have believed in that. ‘Hey, I’m going to get better here at Oklahoma and also we’re going to be a part of a team that tries to win big.'”