Syracuse Basketball: A Philly 4-star duo in Orange would prove really lethal

Late last month, the Syracuse basketball coaching staff was in attendance to watch AAU teammates and 2024 four-star targets Thomas Sorber and Jalil Bethea suit up in a thrilling game for their respective high-school teams in the Philadelphia area.

Both the 6-foot-9 Sorber, a bruising and talented power forward/center, and the 6-foot-4 Bethea, a high-scoring, versatile combo guard, hold offers from the ‘Cuse coaching staff.

Sorber took an unofficial visit to the Hill last August to compete in the Orange’s annual Elite Camp. It was around that time that the ‘Cuse offered him.

Bethea, meanwhile, received a Syracuse basketball offer in late September of 2022. About a month later, he went on an official visit to the Orange campus.

Syracuse basketball appears to be in the mix for a pair of Philly four-star prospects.

In several recent interviews, Bethea has noted that the ‘Cuse is recruiting him hard. In a discussion on his recruitment with On3 national analyst Joe Tipton, Bethea said the schools pursuing him the hardest these days are Miami, Syracuse basketball, Penn State, Rutgers and 2022 national champion Kansas.

Bethea, a standout junior at Archbishop Wood Catholic High School in Warminster, Pa., told Tipton that he would like to make future trips to Kansas and Miami.

It’s unclear to me at this juncture how big of a contender the ‘Cuse is for Sorber, a star junior at Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia.

Toward the beginning of January, top scout Andrew Slater of Cerebro Sports said that Sorber is eyeing a potential official visit to Miami after the 2022-23 high-school stanza is over.

So keep an eye on the Hurricanes as it pertains to both of these Syracuse basketball recruits. Miami is one of the better teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, and a year ago, the Hurricanes advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight.

Both Sorber and Bethea are having terrific 2022-23 campaigns for their respective Philadelphia-area high school squads, and lately, they have shot up the 2024 national ratings from On3. In grassroots basketball, they run together with the Philadelphia-based Team Final in Nike’s EYBL league.

When Tipton asked Bethea if there is anybody he’d like to team up with in college, he responded, “Definitely my guy, Thomas Sorber.”

Bethea said in the On3 article that he has formed a strong relationship with Syracuse basketball assistant coach Gerry McNamara.

Based on some recent comments from other national recruiting analysts, I think that the Orange is in a great spot with Bethea. Sorber is more difficult to gauge.

To date, Sorber’s offer sheet includes Villanova, Xavier, Miami, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Georgetown, Providence, Mississippi State, Richmond, La Salle, Saint Joseph’s, Bryant, George Mason, Drexel and Albany.

Bethea has more than 20 offers from squads such as Notre Dame, St. John’s, Villanova, UCLA, Seton Hall, Miami, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, VCU, Mississippi State and Temple.

Maybe it’s a long shot for Syracuse basketball to secure commitments from both of these 2024 four-star players, but if the possibility exists, that sure would prove exciting to Orange recruiting enthusiasts.