Syracuse basketball 4-star target Jalil Bethea, MVP of loaded Philly league

Jalil Bethea is a high-priority recruiting target for Syracuse basketball coaches in the 2024 class, and the talented four-star prospect has put forth some kind of junior season in the Philadelphia area.

Recently, it was announced that the 6-foot-4 Bethea has received the most valuable player award during the Philadelphia Catholic League’s 2022-23 campaign.

This is a tremendous achievement for Bethea, given that the Philadelphia Catholic League (“PCL”) is an absolutely loaded conference featuring numerous excellent teams and top-flight players.

In fact, Bethea beat out another Orange target and a former ‘Cuse recruit to capture the PCL’s MVP trophy. Jalil Bethea is a junior at Archbishop Wood Catholic High School in Warminster, Pa.

Syracuse basketball four-star priority target Jalil Bethea is shining as a junior.

Syracuse basketball coaches offered a scholarship to Bethea in late September of 2022, and he took an official visit to the Hill the following month.

In numerous recent interviews, Jalil Bethea has said that he has a strong relationship with the ‘Cuse coaching staff, led by assistant coach Gerry McNamara. These days, it does seem that Syracuse basketball is recruiting Bethea extremely hard.

Described by recruiting services as either a point guard, a shooting guard or a combo guard, Bethea could also potentially evolve into a small forward if he continues to add height and length.

Ten high-school players, including Jalil Bethea, were named to the PCL’s All-Catholic first team for the 2022-23 term. Others on the first squad include 2024 four-star point guard Robert Wright III and 2024 four-star big man Thomas Sorber.

The 6-foot-1 Wright, a star junior at Neumann-Goretti High School in Philadelphia, held a ‘Cuse offer but is verbally committed to 2021 national champion Baylor.

The 6-foot-9 Sorber, a standout junior at Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia, was offered by the Orange last August around the time of the team’s annual Elite Camp.

By the way, Sorber, Wright and Bethea all compete on the AAU circuit for the stellar Philadelphia-based Team Final in Nike’s EYBL league.

As we’ve noted in various columns lately, during the 2022-23 season, Bethea has put up some massive performances for Archbishop Wood, including a recent 40-point outburst.

In a recent piece, Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times said that against PCL competition in 2022-23, Bethea averaged 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1 steal per game, while hitting on 56 percent from the field, 43 percent from deep and nearly 90 percent from the charity stripe.

Several recruiting services rate Jalil Bethea as a top-75 prospect in the 2024 cycle, and I envision that his national rankings will soar even higher in the near future.

Bethea and his teammates at Archbishop Wood did recently fall in the semifinals of the 2023 PCL playoffs. They will suit up next month in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (“PIAA”) 6A state tournament.

While Jalil Bethea has many impressive suitors, and his offer sheet keeps on expanding, I do believe that Syracuse basketball is a significant contender to potentially prevail in his recruitment.