Stock-rising SG Jalil Bethea: "Seeing (Coach Cal) is like seeing God"

If you’re in the business of buying basketball stock, 2024 shooting guard Jalil Bethea is a great place to start. Blink and you might miss another jump in the rankings for the 6-foot-4 prospect out of Warminster, PA — he’s now up to No. 14 overall and No. 4 at his position in the latest On3 Player Rankings.

Why? He’s a confident shot-maker and scorer at all three levels while also emerging as a ball handler and facilitator. And when he’s not banged up — he got kneed in the thigh on a loose ball at last week’s Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas — he defends hard, too.

“I’m just a basketball player,” Bethea told KSR. “I do everything, can pass, dribble and shoot. And I actually play defense too when I’m at full strength.”

That’s been his goal this spring and early summer, where he wrapped up the Nike EYBL regular season averaging 18.6 points on 49.8% from the field, 42.6% from three and 84.2% at the line for Team Final — the No. 1 overall seed at next month’s Peach Jam. He then averaged 15.3 points, 4.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds per contest at Pangos.

Previously a fringe top-50 prospect nationally, the Archbishop Wood (PA) standout has proven he’s clearly in the conversation for five-star status. And he just might mess around and find himself in the top 10 when it’s all said and done.

“It’s a great experience, it’s a blessing to play with people that are basically the same level as me, maybe even higher,” Bethea said of his time on the EYBL circuit and participating in prestigious events like Pangos AA Camp. “It’s making me better playing against these guys. I’m looking to prove that I’m not just a shooter, I can do everything. Pass, dribble, do everything on the court to impact the game.”

The ball handling is where things get interesting. He’s quickly transitioned from pure scoring guard to do-it-all threat, making plays both on and off the ball. Now rather than limiting himself to the shooting guard position, Bethea is thriving as a combo, his preferred role at the next level.

“My ability to handle the ball (is where I’ve seen the biggest jump in my game),” he told KSR. “I haven’t been able to handle the ball as much and as I’ve grown and been put in different situations to facilitate, I’ve really had to work on that. … Definitely want to be a combo guard because I want to be able to play on and off the ball. Coming off screens off the ball, or I can be on the ball and come off a ball screen to get my teammates involved or get a bucket on my own.”

With production has come a recruiting explosion, earning offers from the likes of Alabama, Kansas, LSU, Georgetown, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech this spring alone. He’s now got over two dozen scholarship options in total, new interest coming in daily at this point.

Bethea has gone from local standout — his first official visit was Temple last September — to can’t-miss recruit among all high-majors.

“I’ve definitely been really humble with everything, haven’t been cocky about it or anything because sometimes that comes back to bite you in the butt,” he said. “It’s about staying humble and keeping to myself, trying to keep my circle really small.”

Syracuse hopes to keep Bethea in the Northeast, the Orange’s top priority in 2024 by a country mile. The school has even included Carmelo Anthony in its pitch, putting the basketball legend on the phone with the Pennsylvania native in hopes of earning his commitment.

And the effort hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“They call me every day, text me, and they got me on the phone with Carmelo Anthony,” he told KSR. “That was a great feeling because he’s a Hall of Famer. Being on the phone with him is just like a dream come true basically. We basically have the same story, grew up in a bad place and used our basketball skills to get out.

“The way Carmelo found success at Syracuse, that’s something I would want to do.”

Syracuse is prioritizing him the most, but Kansas, Villanova, Miami (FL) and Alabama are also making pushes. He’s in the process of setting up visits with the Jayhawks and Hurricanes.

“I’m supposed to have one coming up with Kansas, but it hasn’t been scheduled yet. That’ll be August 31 or September 9,” he said. “And I was supposed to go to Miami, but the Philly Live schedule threw that off. They’ll probably do it around the same time, either August or the middle of September.”

Another school ramping up its interest? The University of Kentucky — with a prior connection making things intriguing for the Wildcats.

“With Kentucky, Justin Edwards is my friend from Philly. He’s at Kentucky right now doing his thing, just got on campus. I’ve been following them for a long time,” Bethea told KSR. “Coach Flint has been calling and texting me. Letting me know to keep Kentucky in my head.”

And it is. It’s hard not to when you’ve got a history of winning games and putting elite talent in the NBA. The 6-foot-4 guard says he’s fascinated with the idea of playing for a blue blood for those specific reasons.

“Probably Kentucky, UCLA and Duke (were schools I followed as a kid). I really liked the blue bloods growing up,” he said. “They produce pros. Everybody you see in the NBA or overseas, in some pro league, they all came out of one of those schools.”

For Kentucky specifically, the Coach Cal appeal is significant, as well. The idea of playing for a larger-than-life coach — divine, even? — is something he’d certainly be interested in.

“He’s a great coach. He came to some of our games and it was like — I have no idea, man,” Bethea told KSR. “Seeing him is like seeing God or something. You only see him on TV, for real.”

Calls and texts are coming in, but does he expect an offer from the Wildcats?

“Yeah, I believe so. I don’t want to jinx it, but yeah, I could see it,” he said. “It would definitely shake things up because Kentucky is a big school and I could definitely see myself going there and thriving.”

His recruitment remains open as his stock continues to rise and offers continue to pour in, but he’s not planning to drag things out too long. Visits will help provide clarity as he inches toward a decision later this year. That will “probably be late September,” but added it could be pushed to “the middle of the (high school) season” if interested parties give him more to think about.

What will separate his future school from the pack?

“It’s wherever I want to go, that’ll be my choice. I want to go to a school where I’m wanted the most,” Bethea told KSR. “Definitely who I have the best relationship with, another place I can call home.

Will that second home be Lexington? It starts with a scholarship offer.

Jalil Bethea highlights at the Pangos All-American Camp! @JalilBethea2 @PangosAACamp pic.twitter.com/pMUsi5OLWR

— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) June 8, 2023