Syracuse basketball expected to watch 4-star priority recruit in live period

It’s an NCAA live period this coming weekend, and Syracuse basketball coaches are expected to be in attendance for one of their top 2024 targets, Jalil Bethea, according to a media report.

Per college basketball insider Adam Zagoria, the Orange will reportedly be among numerous teams to check out the 6-foot-4 Bethea in this live period, which runs from June 16 to June 18.

Bethea, a fast-rising four-star guard in the 2024 class, was an All-American as a junior during the 2022-23 season as he starred for Archbishop Wood Catholic High School in Warminster, Pa. He also recently earned a lot of high praise from national analysts and scouts for his play at the 2023 Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas.

According to various published reports, this weekend, Archbishop Wood will play games at the well-known Philly Live event, which is being held in Philadelphia at Thomas Jefferson University and the St. Joseph’s Preparatory School.

For a schedule of contests taking place during Philly Live, please click here.

Syracuse basketball continues to prioritize 2024 four-star guard Jalil Bethea.

Zagoria writes that among the schools that will be watching Bethea at Philly Live include the ‘Cuse, Miami, Villanova, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, 2023 national champion UConn and 2022 national champ Kansas.

The Orange offered a scholarship to Bethea in September of 2022, and he took an official visit to the Hill the following month. Dating back to this March, ‘Cuse coaches have visited with Bethea in the Philadelphia area, watched him suit up for Archbishop Wood in 2022-23 post-season play, and also been in attendance for him on the AAU circuit during live periods in late April.

Bethea, who has vaulted into the top 20 overall in his cycle according to multiple recruiting services, helped guide the Philadelphia-based Team Final (17U) to the Nike EYBL regular-season championship late last month. Team Final will be one of the favorites to cut down the nets at the prestigious Peach Jam in early July.

Syracuse basketball coaches have recruited Bethea hard for a while now. He has said in some recent interviews that he’s eyeing additional official visits in the near future, to schools such as Kansas, Miami, Alabama and maybe others. Bethea has also said he could take another visit to the Orange at some point.

Besides Syracuse basketball, Bethea’s offer sheet includes Alabama, UConn, Georgia Tech, LSU, Xavier, 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.

I have no inside information here, however, in having tracked Bethea’s recruiting process for a while now, I do think that the ‘Cuse has a good shot to win out for him, and he could make a commitment announcement this fall, per reports.

The biggest competitors to the Orange winning out are likely Miami, Kansas and Alabama, along with Big East Conference squads Villanova, UConn and Georgetown. Kentucky is also reportedly showing interest in Bethea.

To date, Syracuse basketball has two verbal commitments in its top-10 nationally rated 2024 class, from four-star power forward Donnie Freeman out of Washington, D.C., and four-star shooting guard Elijah Moore from New York City.