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Five-star Illinois commit Jeremiah Fears is facing No. 1 recruit Cooper Flagg Thursday.
The stars are playing in the Chipotle Nationals, where Flagg’s Montverde Academy Eagles are the No. 1 seed while Fears and AZ Compass Prep Dragons snuck in as the eighth seed.
This game comes fresh after Flagg participated in the McDonald’s All-American game on Tuesday. The matchup is streaming on ESPN at 8:00 p.m.
Fears, a junior at AZ Compass, is a major reason for the team’s 20-5 record this season. The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 14.2 points and 2.5 steals in 13 games. Meanwhile, Flagg is committed to playing for the Duke Blue Devils after a monstrous career at Montverde.
He is averaging 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in his final year for the 31-0 Eagles. He is projected to go within the top three picks in 2025 NBA mock drafts.
Montverde won 58-46 when the teams met earlier this season. In the game, Fears finished with 13 points while Flagg recorded 12 points on 42 percent shooting.
The Eagles are expected to win in comfortable fashion as the favorites to win the tournament.
Illinois’ season was brought to a close in the Elite Eight by the reigning champion UConn Huskies.
Guard Terrence Shannon Jr. is much to thank for the postseason push, as he averaged roughly 34 points in the NCAA and Big Ten Tournament.
Fears’ commitment to the Fighting Illini makes sense because Shannon is a projected lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
