Syracuse Basketball: 4-star priority recruits score big honors for stellar AAU

So far this spring on the shoe-sponsored AAU circuits, Syracuse basketball 2024 four-star priority recruiting targets Jalil Bethea and Mikey Lewis have proven two of the best all-around performers across the Nike EYBL, Adidas 3SSB and Under Armour Association leagues.

That was the case for the 6-foot-4 Bethea and the 6-foot-3 Lewis during two NCAA live periods in late April, and it also held true this past weekend when the EYBL held its third spring session at the Southwest Athletic Center in Carrollton, Texas.

Last weekend, Bethea, a four-star combo guard, and Lewis, a four-star point guard, each played in four games. Bethea runs with the Philadelphia-based Team Final, while Lewis competes for the Oakland, Calif.-based Oakland Soldiers.

In those EYBL contests, Bethea averaged 20 points per affair. Lewis averaged 18 points per encounter. Both received honors from the experts at The Circuit for their showings.

Syracuse basketball four-star targets Jalil Bethea and Mikey Lewis are crushing AAU.

Here are their full stat lines in the third session, courtesy of the EYBL Web site.

Jalil Bethea
Game One: 32 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
Game Two: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Game Three: 14 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Game Four: 23 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Mikey Lewis
Game One: 29 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Game Two: 26 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
Game Three: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Game Four: 6 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 steal

For this third spring session, The Circuit named Bethea to its All-EYBL first team. Lewis was placed on The Circuit’s All-EYBL second squad.

Bethea was offered a scholarship by the Syracuse basketball coaching staff in September of 2022 and officially visited the Hill the following month. Orange coaches have visited him, checked him out during recent live periods, and also watched Bethea in March as he played for Archbishop Wood Catholic High School in Warminster, Pa., during the Pennsylvania post-season.

Besides the ‘Cuse, his offer sheet includes 2023 national champion UConn, Georgia Tech, LSU, Xavier, 2022 national champ Kansas, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Georgetown, Miami, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Temple, UCLA, Villanova, VCU, Mississippi State and West Virginia, among others.

MADE Hoops recently put Bethea at No. 10 nationally in the 2024 cycle. Several other recruiting services have him in the top 40 overall. When all is said and done, I believe that Bethea will be a five-star, top-25 national prospect in the junior class.

To that end, Rob Cassidy, a national analyst with Rivals.com, says that based on his play for Team Final this spring, Bethea “could threaten to break into the top 15 when the rankings get a facelift in June.”

Lewis, meanwhile, is a more recent target for Syracuse basketball coaches, who offered him a scholarship in late April. Media reports stated that the Orange coaching staff was in attendance last month to watch Lewis during the live periods.

Since landing a ‘Cuse offer, Lewis has said more than once in interviews that he wants to visit the Orange campus at some point. He attends Accelerated Prep in Lakewood, Colo.

Lewis’ growing offer list also includes LSU, California, TCU, Providence, Arizona State, Colorado State, Illinois, Washington State, 2023 NCAA Tournament runner-up San Diego State and Wyoming, among others.

At present, Lewis’ highest national ranking in the 2024 class is from Rivals.com, at No. 69. The two industry-generated rating systems, the 247Sports Composite and the On3 Industry Ranking, currently place him outside the top 100.

However, based on his sizzling showings so far in grassroots basketball, I’d be shocked if Lewis doesn’t vault into the top 100, or even higher than that, as the primary recruiting services refresh their national rankings for the junior cycle in the future.