Incoming freshman Morez Johnson and class of 2025 commit Jeremiah Fears won the gold medal in the FIBA U18 AmeriCup on Sunday evening, defeating Argentina 110-70. Both players only took the court for 11 minutes, with Johnson contributing seven points, seven rebounds and three steals and Fears putting up four points and four assists.
Team USA’s dominant 40 point championship victory was the cherry on top for their unrelenting play in the AmeriCup tournament. They started their run by winning games against Argentina, Belize and Brazil in group play by a combined margin of 149 points, including a 96 point blowout of Belize. Next, they breezed past Puerto Rico by 32 in the quarterfinals and defeated Canada by 38 points in the semifinals.
Johnson’s most time on the court came in the quarterfinals, where he played 19 minutes and scored 11 points on 50% shooting from the field. He also grabbed 17 rebounds in the win, tying the record for most rebounds by an American in a FIBA U18 AmeriCup game. He holds the record with Chicago native Quincy Miller, who played college basketball at Baylor before making stops in the NBA and overseas.
Johnson will join Brad Underwood’s squad at Illinois this upcoming season and will look to be a strong force in the post. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 8 points (on 62.1% shooting), 9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks throughout the entire tournament, despite only playing 13.6 minutes per game. Johnson’s consistent and efficient play bodes well for the incoming freshman before he begins his first season of college basketball in Champaign.
On the other hand, Fears’ most impressive performance came when he spent 21 minutes on the floor against Belize in group play. He shot the ball efficiently in that game, knocking down 50% of his shots en route to 17 points. He also dished out six assists and racked up an impressive seven steals. However, Fears seemed to struggle overall during the AmeriCup in his 12 minutes per game. The 6-foot-2 guard did not shoot well for Team USA, averaging 40% from the field, including an abysmal 15% from beyond the three-point line. Despite his offensive struggles, Fears played well on the defensive end, averaging a team leading 3 steals per game. Fears has another year of high school basketball before he will join Johnson and Illinois for the 2025-26 season.
