Jeremy Fears Jr., a Joliet West alumnus, throws out first pitch for White Sox as part of NIL initiative

CHICAGO – Last week was a busy one for the Fears family, Jeremy Fears Jr. in particular.

On Wednesday, Jeremy flew out to Brooklyn to watch his brother Jeremiah Fears get taken seventh overall in the NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. Thursday, he flew back to East Lansing, Michigan, where he’s currently starting at point guard for the Michigan State University men’s basketball team.

Friday, he headed home to Joliet for a second before traveling to Chicago’s South Side. That trip was to make a childhood dream come true.

Fears Jr., an alumnus of Joliet West, threw out the ceremonial first pitch Friday at the Chicago White Sox’s series opener against the San Francisco Giants at Rate Field. It capped a wild 72 hours for the 6-foot-2, 190 pound rising junior.

“It feels great,” he said. “It’s been a busy couple of days with my brother getting drafted and all. ... I’m glad to be out here and support a hometown team. It’s the best.”

Fears Jr. made a name for himself during his high school days with Joliet West. He was one of the top prospects in the country his senior season before heading to East Lansing to play for the Spartans. He was a key contributor off the bench for part of his freshman season before missing the final few months after being shot in the leg while back in Joliet over Christmas break 2023.

He returned to the Spartans for his sophomore season and earned a starting role in coach Tom Izzo’s backcourt. He averaged 7.2 points, 5.4 assists [third in the Big 10] and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 34% from beyond the arc. Michigan State finished the season ranked seventh in the country, advancing to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament.

Prior to Friday, however, the attention last week went to his younger brother Jeremiah. A star for the Oklahoma basketball team last season, Jeremiah made his way to New Orleans on Thursday after being at the Draft Wednesday with his family. Jeremy said he hopes to make it back to New York one day for his own selection.

“It was great just getting to be there,” he said. “It’s hopefully somewhere I want to be in the future getting my name called. I’m happy to have seen my younger brother and my teammate Jace [Richardson], who is another brother.

“Getting to see them accomplish their dreams and goals was amazing.”

Jeremy was asked to throw out the first pitch as part of the White Sox NIL program “CHISOX Athlete.” Fears Jr. is one of 13 college athletes from the extended area who currently are members of the program, in its fourth year of existence.

“CHISOX Athlete provides all athletes with personalized career mentorship from leading sports executives,” a press release from the White Sox read. “Athletes also benefit from top-tier marketing opportunities, including exclusive photoshoots, networking discussions and more.”

Fears Jr. is one of two Herald-News area athlete in the program, along with Joliet Catholic alumna Maddy Vercelli, a member of the Minnesota women’s dance team. Other non-Herald News athletes include Oak Forest’s Robbie Avila [St. Louis men’s basketball] and Kankakee’s Jyaire Hill [Michigan football].

Fears Jr. was just excited to get to take in the experience at Rate Field in front of about 40,000 people.

“It’s good to show love [to local teams],” he said. “I’m a Sox fan, Cubs fan, Bulls fan. I just want to support the hometown and the big teams anyway I can. This is a great opportunity to support the hometown teams.”

While Richardson was taken in the first round of Wednesday’s draft, Fears Jr. will be back at MSU with a host of other returners. The Spartans also have added three transfers and a pair of four-star recruits while Izzo is back for year 31 in search of his second NCAA title. Fears Jr. says he’s looking forward to getting back on the court and chasing a national title.

“I’ve put a little pressure on myself to have a big year,” he said. “Last year, I was coming off an injury, so it was rough for me, but I finally started to get some growth near the end of the year. I can’t ask for nothing more.

“Hopefully it’s a big year for me.”