Miami is one of four finalists with Alabama, Kansas State and North Carolina State, to retain freshman guard Jalil Bethea. Miami signed Bethea in the 2024 class as a five-star prospect and McDonald's All-American out of Warminster, Pennsylvania, Archbishop Wood.
The transfer portal opened officially on Monday. Miami has reportedly contacted multiple players but have not received a commitment yet. Bethea could set the foundation for a good backcourt with his classmate Divine Ugochuku and redshirt junior A.J. Staton McCray.
Staton-McCray and Ugochukwu are the only players on the Miami roster with eligibility remaining beyond the 2024-25 season who have not entered the transfer portal. Bethea, Staton-McCray and Ugochukwu could set the foundation for Miami in the backcourt and Jai Lucas and his staff can focus more on the frontcourt.
Bethea averaged 7.1 points per game, 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 36.8 percent from the floor, made 32.6 percent of his three-point attempts and 82.0 percent from the free throw line. Projected as a potential lottery pick entering his freshman season, Bethea will have a lot to prove as a sophomore.
UPDATE: Jalil Bethea is down to FOUR schools in Miami, Alabama, NC State and Kansas State, per @247Sports source.
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) March 29, 2025
Former Top10 recruit and McDonald's All American.https://t.co/NDZ3a45y7e pic.twitter.com/Zf058cFi4S
Lucas worked developing guards as an assistant coach during the last three seasons with Duke. The Blue Devils finished 12th nationally shooting 38.5 percent on their three-point attempts, were 17th posting 17 assists per game while commiting only 9.3 turnovers. Those are all areas Bethea can improve on next season.
As far as the teams Miami is competing with for Bethea, Alabama is 28-8 and will play Duke in the East Regional Final on Saturday, Kansas State finished 16-17 and North Carolina State finished 12-19 and fired head coach Kevin Keatts one season after making the Final Four. Will Wade is the new North Carolina State head coach.
There is no indication which of the four finalists leads for Bethea. Alabama is the only other program among the four finalists for Bethea as a transfer that he considered as a high school prospect. It seems logical that Alabama, which is in its second consecutive Elite Eight, would be the biggest competition for Miami to retain Bethea.