Four-star Tyler Betsey dives into his recruitment and visits

Tyler Betsey is the No. 15 player in the current 2024 On3 150. The 6-foot-8 three-and-D wing averaged 11.6 points while shooting 35.6 percent from three for his New York Renaissance program during Nike’s EYBL regular season circuit this summer. Betsey was the second-leading scorer for a team that made a run to the Final Four of the Peach Jam.

“I’m more comfortable as a basketball player right now,” Betsey told On3. “I think that’s the biggest thing for me. I’m able to play more aggressively no matter who I play with because I know who I am. I’m a versatile wing who can handle it a little, but I can really shoot it, and I can guard the one through four, even the five sometimes. My defensive versatility is something that will keep me on the floor. That’s what I do.”

On3 sat down with Tyler Betsey after a recent live viewing to talk about his recruitment.

Betsey talks official visits

“I’ve taken official visits to UConn, Creighton, and Indiana so far,” Betsey said. 

UConn: “I knew a lot about them going into my visit. I talk with them almost every single day, and I went up there for an unofficial visit too. So I wouldn’t say I necessarily learned anything new on my visit, but I did get to interact with the players and then see them in action, in practice and all. I got to see the campus and really be around everything that is important to being part of the UConn basketball team.

I’m a hometown kid; that is something they talk about a lot. I like to win games, I mean, who doesn’t like to win games, and they just won a national championship? So I would say I would come in and contribute to winning. Coach (Dan) Hurley and the staff, they show a lot of love.”

Indiana: “It was the coaching staff that really stood out for me. We got a good connection, it felt like I had already known them for a long time when I went out there. My family and I were all really comfortable with the coaching staff. 

Standing in Assembly Hall was memorable for me. I mean, that place is huge; there were seats everywhere. And when I went on my visit, they had a kids camp, so we got to see how many people can really fit in there.”

Creighton: “They play up and down, shoot a lot of threes and take the first available shot. That is how I play right now with my high school and AAU teams. The coaching staff is cool there, and Omaha, Nebraska, is not like I expected it to be. It’s a big, modern city. There was a lot to do there, so that was good.”

Betsey talks recruiting

“I’m going to take some official visits in the Fall, too, I’m not exactly sure what dates yet,” Betsey said. “But we’re talking with Alabama, Cincinnati, and Duke about potential visits.”

Alabama: “Seeing what Brandon Miller did has really intrigued me. I look at him, and he looks a lot like me and does a lot of the same stuff I do. I didn’t see him jumping crazy high or anything, I think he is just a solid basketball player who put in the work. And in that system, they get up and down and shoot the basketball and defend. I like how they play.”

Cincinnati: “The coaching staff reaches out a lot, and they show a lot of love. One of my coaches at school, Cane Broome, also went there. We have become really close, and he tells me all about the city and everything there is to do outside of basketball. They’re moving to be Big 12, so that’s big. I hear a lot of good things about (head coach) Wes Miller, he’s really personable. He came to my school one time and sat down, and we just talked for like three hours straight. I was really comfortable with him, and it was a great conversation.”

Duke: “Jai Lucas, that’s my guy. I talk with him and Coach (Chris) Carrawell a lot. I’m going to visit them in September. They’ve shown me what all they have done with freshmen and the freedom they give their freshmen to play with. 

“This year, for example, they started off rough, but they let their freshmen play through their mistakes. And those same mistakes those freshmen made at the beginning of the year, they weren’t making them in March. They made a run to win the ACC and won a game in the NCAA Tournament. I would say he had a very successful first season as a head coach.”

In his words

“I’m going to look closely at how I connect with the staff, and mainly with the head coach,” Betsey said. “I want to see how I fit in with everyone around the program, from the academic advisor to the strength coach. I’ll want to see how I fit in with everyone around the school because they’re going to be around a lot too. As a basketball player, you’re also going to be a student too, so I want to be comfortable around the campus. 

“I’m aiming for narrowing things down around my birthday, which is August 2. Then I’ll look to probably commit in mid-or-late October. There are not a lot of players who can shoot the ball like me. So I feel like no matter where I go, I can affect the game with my shooting early on.”