Five-star Jalil Bethea updates recruitment; talks Alabama, Syracuse, Miami, Kansas

Jalil Bethea is the No. 11 player in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard averaged 18.7 points and shot 36.8 percent from three in front of a host of college coaches during Nike’s Peach Jam last week. 

“I’m able to impact a game in other ways, even when I’m not scoring,” Bethea told On3. “I can get my teammates involved and get the ball back on defense. I’ve been working a lot, and that has really built my confidence, and it has translated to the game, and I can shoot and make those types of shots. I’ve been watching Steph Curry for a long time, some Devin Booker and Jordan Poole more recently.”

On3 caught up with Jalil Bethea recently to talk about his recruitment.

Bethea talks recruitment

“I’ve taken two official visits,” Bethea said. “Both of my Temple and Syracuse visits were with their old staff, though. Syracuse is still involved, though. Right now, I only have one official visit set coming up. I’m going to Kansas on August 31.”

Syracuse: “They welcomed me and treated me like I was already on the team, already a player. It felt a lot like another place I could call home. Since Coach (Adrian) Autry took over as the head coach, our relationship has actually grown.

“When Coach (Jim) Boeheim was the coach, I talked with all the coaches and was able to build a really good relationship with everyone on the staff. All that has just grown.”

Kansas: “I’ve been watching Kansas basketball for a long time. Just being able to get on the campus is like a dream come true. Look at the players they’ve put in the league, the wings. The players they produce always seem to either go pro or have great college, or basketball, careers.”

Bethea talks recruitment

“I’m talking with Miami about a visit,”: Bethea said. “I am thinking about maybe going on another visit to Syracuse and maybe somewhere like Alabama.”

Miami: “Coach L (Jim Larranaga) and Coach DJ (Irving) are both great people. They text me almost every day they can. They’ll get with me after most of my games and just check on me, you know. Since Coach DJ is from Philly and played in the Catholic League, and he coached at Team Final, we built our relationship around that. And we just kept growing.”

Alabama: “They definitely produce players and develop their guards. They play really fast and give their guys a lot of freedom, and they shoot a lot of threes, and I like shooting threes.”

“Kentucky and Michigan are both hitting me up some,” Bethea said. “Neither of them has offered yet; not sure where that is going.”

In his words

“I want to go somewhere I am needed,” Jalil Bethea said. “A place that will give me an opportunity to play early. But also a place I am comfortable. I want to go to a home away from home. I’m going to look at the relationship with the coaches, I’ll go to the place I have the best relationship with.

“Playstyle will have an impact on me. I want to go somewhere that is geared toward me and my game. I like to play fast; go somewhere that spreads the floor out.”