By JACOB POLACHECK
Class of 2023 three-star guard Jahlil Bethea will transfer from Fairfax (CA) to The Patrick School (NJ) for his junior season, he tells ZAGSBLOG.
“The motivation was to come back home,” Bethea said. “I haven’t played for my hometown high school, so I’m just going to be coming back to New Jersey and trying to put on for my state.”
Bethea, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound point guard from Middle Village, NY, currently holds offers from DePaul, Nebraska, TCU, New Mexico State, UAB, Manhattan and FIU. He broke down each school:
DePaul: “Definitely their defense. They’re a very defense-oriented team. They like to press their opponents and get up. They’re a very physical team. I like that a lot.”
Nebraska: “They rely heavily on their guard play. I was just watching them on Tuesday night. They rely heavily on their guards to get the job done. I’ll definitely keep them in mind when I make the big decision, but I definitely like how they rely on their guard play.”
TCU: “They’re more of a pick-and-roll oriented offense. They use the pick-and-roll a lot. That’s something also that I would like to perfect in my game, coming off the pick-and-roll, reading it differently, showing it.”
New Mexico State: “Like I said with DePaul, they’re very high on defense and talking. They get a lot of energy.”
UAB: “I haven’t watched UAB this season. I think they play tonight, but I haven’t gotten the chance to watch UAB.”
Manhattan: “Again, they rely on their guards. They also use more of the pick-and-roll offense, coming off screens and definitely getting their big men involved.”
FIU: “They’re a three-point shooting team. They rely heavily on threes. You definitely have to knock down shots if you’re going to go to FIU.”
After an impressive performance with his AAU Program New Jersey Legacy over the summer, Bethea saw his stock rise tremendously, prompting him to target a decision for next fall.
“I would say after next year’s EYBL,” he said. “I feel like I’m definitely going to get a couple more offers that roll in, so towards the start of next fall, maybe.”
When it comes time for that decision, Bethea says he’s factoring in coaching, teammates and atmosphere.
“What type of coach I’m going to have, how he’s trying to get me better and elevating me to the next level,” he said. “My teammates, the type of people I’m going to be around, what type of atmosphere I’m going to be playing at.”
Photo: Royce Paris
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