All Syracuse

Monday Musings: Syracuse Basketball Recruiting Notes

The latest on Jalil Bethea and what to make of the Orange's recent offers?
Mike McAllister|
Monday Musings: Syracuse Basketball Recruiting Notes
Monday Musings: Syracuse Basketball Recruiting Notes

In this story:

Syracuse Orange

Are you looking for the inside scoop on Syracuse basketball and football recruiting? Subscribe to All Syracuse, with in-depth and exclusive information brought to you by Mike McAllister, a name you can trust, and his staff. Subscribe today and get the first month of an annual membership for just $1, or a full annual membership at an almost 20% discount!

Jalil Bethea

The priority Syracuse basketball target completed his official visit to Villanova this weekend. The visit went well, but he did not commit. That said, Nova is the "home town team" so to speak but this trip is not expected to push the Wildcats above the Orange. They remain in the mix, but not one of Syracuse's biggest threats. The two top threats as of now are Kansas and Miami. Bethea visits Kansas this upcoming weekend and that could push the Jayhawks further up list. Whenever Kansas really wants a player, they are a serious threat and remain so to the Orange's efforts here. Miami has a long standing relationship with Bethea, which he says is the most important factor in a final decision. Syracuse has the longest and one of the strongest, so that puts SU in good position. 

The other factor here could be NIL. We know both Kansas and Miami are not afraid to throw money at a player in order to land them. That could make an impact on Bethea's thinking, which means Syracuse will have to be prepared to offer something enticing. 

What Do Recent Offers Mean?

Syracuse basketball extended four offers after Elite Camp on Saturday. They were to 2025 point guard Nigel James, 2025 point guard Keyshaun Tillery, 2025 forward Matt Gilhool and 2026 point guard Antony Brown. What does that mean for the Orange's recruiting efforts? It means point guard will be a primary focus at least in 2025 and likely in 2026 as well. Expect Syracuse to go guard heavy with its recruiting efforts in the 2025 cycle. James and Tillery join the already offered point guards Tyler Jackson and Demarco Johnson in 2025. That is four total point guards already offered. Telling. 

Published
Mike McAllister
MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting.  EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans.  After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years.  Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports.  Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College. 

Share on XFollow McAllisterMike1
Home/Recruiting