By ZACH SMART
Jalil Bethea takes a certain pride in proving others wrong and simultaneously proving himself.
The Archbishop Wood (Pa.) guard has been pigeonholed as a shooter for much of his career. During his recent play, however, while his recruitment has ratcheted up and he has ascended the national ladder, he has been noteworthy with his leaping ability and play-making.
“I would definitely say I have been in the gym more,” Bethea said. “Just to perfect my craft. Basically, with everybody saying I was just a shooter or I was this and that, I go to the gym and just work on everything. People want to label me as specific role, I would just say I am an all around basketball player. I play to win.
Kentucky is the latest program to reach out to Bethea, with assistant coach Bruiser Flint establishing a relationship with the 6-foot-4 Bethea.
Bethea rattled off Kentucky, Miami, Syracuse, Alabama, and Villanova as the programs he is currently hearing from the most. He took an unofficial visit to Villanova on Wednesday.
“Nova said, ‘You’re our No. 1 recruit, your game fits our style,'” Archbishop Wood coach John Mosco said.
“Nova has put out a lot of great guards from this area, Colin [Gillespie], [Kyle] Lowry, etc. He feels comfortable with the coaches.”
Scoring efficiency, spurt-ability, and taking game-changing matters into his own hands are all areas in which Bethea thrived last season. LSU, Alabama, reigning national champions UConn, and a Georgia Tech program now under former NBA point guard Damon Stoudemire are among the recent offers for Bethea.
The Archbishop Wood guard led the PCL in scoring, averaging 23.2 points per game. He morphed into the mad bomber on some big stages last year, most notably with a 37-point performance, on a scalding 11-for-12 from beyond the arc during the PIAA 6A state quarterfinal against North Hills.
With NBA 3-point range and a knack for hitting highly-contested, difficult shots amid draping close outs, Bethea has gone from the sixth man at Archbishop Wood to the focal point. He is also a significant rebounding presence, as he averaged 7.6 boards per game this past season.
An aspect of his game which tends to get discounted is his passing arsenal. His crafty finishing, manipulative one on one game, and extravagant above-rim finishing were on display during the recent Pangos All-American camp in Las Vegas. Following a breakout season in which he altered his perception as a player, considerably, Bethea knows the onus is on him to lead by action and words next season. “Coach Mosco, he expects me to be a leader next season,” Bethea said. ”I am coming back with the most experience. As a team, our focus is to win the PCL and win states.” Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on Facebook
An aspect of his game which tends to get discounted is his passing arsenal. His crafty finishing, manipulative one on one game, and extravagant above-rim finishing were on display during the recent Pangos All-American camp in Las Vegas. Following a breakout season in which he altered his perception as a player, considerably, Bethea knows the onus is on him to lead by action and words next season. “Coach Mosco, he expects me to be a leader next season,” Bethea said. ”I am coming back with the most experience. As a team, our focus is to win the PCL and win states.” Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on Facebook
