Michigan State basketball commit Jeremy Fears joins Overtime Elite, keeps NCAA eligibility
Michigan State basketball commit Jeremy Fears is taking a new road to East Lansing.
Fears, a 2023 commit, has signed with Overtime Elite, the Atlanta-based basketball league created as another option for young prospects to make money and perhaps get to the NBA.
Overtime Elite announced that Fears and class of 2024 five-star center Jayden Williams signed Thursday, but will forgo salaries, maintaining their college eligibility.
FROM USA TODAY: This new school pays teen basketball players $100K to skip the NCAA and train for the NBA
Overtime Elite has also signed Naasir Cunningham, the No. 1 recruit for the class of 2024, and Kanaan Carlyle, another five-star recruit for that year. There are enough players at Overtime Elite for several teams, which will play one another and several other elite prep school programs next season.
The games can be seen on social media, which is reportedly how Overtime Elite is able to afford expenses, along with help from investors like Amazon's Jeff Bezos, music superstar Drake and several NBA players.
A four-star point guard at La Porte (Indiana) La Lumiere School, one of the elite basketball programs in the country, Fears will play his senior season for Overtime Elite, which will also offers high school classes.
Fears committed to MSU in January and has since starred in the FIBA U17 World Cup in Malaga, Spain, leading the U.S. to the gold medal. He had 17 points and six assists in the championship game over Span on July 10.
“Jeremy is a true point guard and makes everyone on his team better when he’s on the floor,” said OTE head coach Kevin Ollie, who led UConn to a national title in 2014, in a released statement. “He’s had some great experiences already playing with USA Basketball and high level players all over the world, so he’ll bring that into our program as we continue developing his game.”
Players who do give up their college eligibility and don't secure a pro deal get $100,000 from the program to attend a university of their choice. Plus, each player is offered shares in Overtime Elite and can make additional name, image and likeness money and other bonuses.
Contact Kirkland Crawford: kcrawford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @HiKirkHere.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball commit Jeremy Fears joins Overtime Elite
