Prized hoops recruit Jalil Bethea of Archbishop Wood picks Miami over Villanova

Sitting inside the Archbishop Wood student center Wednesday, Jalil Bethea was surrounded by his family, friends, and teammates, waiting for him to announce where he was going to play college basketball.

After a video montage played, highlighting the five-star guard’s talent on the court, Bethea asked, “Can I take it off now?” Bethea then unzipped his school jacket to reveal a green-and-orange T-shirt.

Ranked as the No. 7 recruit in the nation by ESPN, Bethea is heading to Miami, becoming the third player in the class of 2024 to join the Hurricanes.

Bethea had narrowed his final schools to Miami, Kansas, and Villanova. He said, the Hurricanes’ coaching staff ultimately solidified his decision with its ability to develop players, especially Philly talent. He was recruited by Miami assistant coach DJ Irving, a graduate of Archbishop Carroll and former coach at Roman Catholic.

“Miami was the best fit for me,” Bethea told The Inquirer on Wednesday. “I feel like that whole program is really good with Philly kids. A lot of people that came from Philly went to Miami. [The coaches] said I’ll be the highest-recruited player to go to Miami.

“I’m just hoping to be the best person I can be there. There’s always room for improvement.”

Bonner-Prendergast graduate Isaiah Wong is the latest Philadelphia player to impact the Hurricanes’ program. The point guard was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft. He helped Miami reach the NCAA’s Elite Eight for the first time in 2021-22 and the Final Four last season.

Another Miami guard, Wooga Poplar, played at Math, Civics and Sciences Charter School. Poplar will be a junior this season.

Bethea hopes to make similar impact the following season. The 6-foot-4 guard went under the recruiting radar early in his high school career. As a freshman, Bethea sat the bench most games and played on the junior varsity. Archbishop Wood coach John Mosco saw Bethea change his mindset and work ethic.

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“He worked so hard,” Mosco said. “He didn’t play as a freshman, came off the bench as a sophomore, now he’s one of the top players in the country. It shows that hard work pays off. He did it on the right terms, he did it the right way, and his best days are still ahead of him.”

Bethea averaged 23.2 points, 4.3 assists, and 7.8 rebounds last season. He rose from being ranked as the No. 43 recruit in April to a top-10 prospect. Mosco also saw Bethea transform into a three-level scorer and become a better leader.

“When I was younger, not everybody knew who I was and everybody doubted me,” Bethea said. “I just ... used that as my motivation to keep going. I’ve had a chip on my shoulder ever since I started playing basketball because I always dreamed about being in the NBA, being a pro, and playing overseas. I just wanted to make basketball my life.”

For Bethea and his family, the college decision means the start of his basketball career, said his mother, Jacqueline Kamper, who hopes to watch her youngest son make it to the NBA. Kamper plans to move to Miami after his senior year at Wood to stay near her son.

“He’s matured a whole lot,” Kamper said. “Basketball got him here and he’s doing something he loves.”

With the college commitment under his belt, Bethea has some unfinished business this season with the Vikings.

Mosco recalled that former Wood stars Collin Gillespie and Rahsool Diggins told Bethea, “You aren’t one of us until you won a championship.” So Bethea has made it a goal to win Catholic League and state titles this year.

“This is my last year, you only get one senior year,” Bethea said. “I want to go out with a bang.”