Jalil Bethea

About

Nationally exalted basketball player who made headlines in September 2023 when he formally declared the University of Miami as his 2024 college destination. The announcement came after lengthy speculation and hopeful anticipation from the multiple prestigious institutions in contention for his commitment including Villanova University and the University of Kansas. A 5-star shooting guard from Archbishop Wood High School, he had been ranked #7 on the ESPN 100 Basketball Recruiting Database for the Class of 2024. After pledging to play for the Hurricanes, he became the University of Miami's highest-ranked recruit in almost 40 years.

Before Fame

Unlike the average 5-star basketball recruit, his athletic prowess went largely unnoticed for the first half of his high school career. Only making it off the bench for the first time in his sophomore year, his remarkable skills were primarily developed over his junior year when he led the Philadelphia Catholic League in scoring and helped his school reach the PCL and PIAA Class 6A semifinals. He also earned substantial recognition for his lucrative summer circuit with Team Final of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League.

Trivia

His rare ability to shoot effectively from inside the arc, the three-point range, and the free-throw line have earned him the unique classification as a three-level scorer. In his fruitful junior year, he was not only designated Most Valuable Player of the Catholic League but he was also named to the Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State Class 6A First Team. 

Family Life

He is the son of Jacqueline Kamper and Steven Bethea. He has a younger brother named Saleem.

Associated With

On his 2023 college campus tour, he met with coaches such as Kyle Neptune and Bill Self. He ultimately chose to play for the Miami Hurricanes, which are coached by Jim Larranaga.