Jalil Bethea to Miami: Hurricanes land nation's No. 6 overall prospect

Archbishop Wood (Pennsylvania) five-star shooting guard Jalil Bethea committed to Miami over Kansas, Villanova and others Wednesday

The Miami Hurricanes have landed their highest-rated basketball recruit in program history.

On Wednesday, Archbishop Wood (Pennsylvania) five-star shooting guard Jalil Bethea announced his commitment to the Hurricanes over fellow finalists Alabama, Kansas, Syracuse and Villanova.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard is rated the nation's No. 6 overall prospect and No. 2 shooting guard, behind only Link Academy (Texas) star Tre Johnson. 

Bethea, the second-ever five-star basketball prospect to choose Miami, is the program's first-ever top-10 talent nationally, and eclipses Lonnie Walker (No. 14 in 2017) as the highest-rated pledge in program history.

What makes him so special?

Here's what 247Sports had to say about him as a prospect:

"Jalil Bethea proved to be one of the best scoring guards and shot-makers in the country this year. He’s a shooter who can make tough threes, both on the move and off the dribble. While he can occasionally hunt his looks and settle for contested ones, he still put up incredibly efficient numbers in the EYBL, knocking down 41% of his threes and 86% of his free-throws. He was even extremely efficient inside the arc, shooting 59% on two-point field goals while also showing an ability to raise his release point in the lane. While he’s usually looking for his own shot, Bethea has shown flashes of being a good passer when he wants to be. Similarly, he moves well laterally and shows stretches of being an impactful defender, which should come out more at the next level. Physically, he has a wiry build with high hips and more narrow shoulders, but some sneaky athletic pop and absolutely no fear. He plays the game with an edge and only needs to consistently harness it in the right way while he continues to build up his body." 

Bethea is the third pledge in Miami's 2024 recruiting class, a group that ranks No. 3 nationally.

He joins Cannon School (North Carolina) four-star shooting guard Austin Swartz, the nation's No. 41 overall prospect, and Totino-Grace (Minnesota) four-star small forward Isaiah Johnson-Arigu, the nation's No. 99 overall prospect.