The Kansas basketball team's campaign is over, meaning the offseason is underway for Bill Self and his coaching staff. As expected, the Jayhawks will be active in the transfer portal to make up for the program's significant losses to graduation.
Tomorrow (Mar. 24) is officially the first day players can enter the portal, and the fallout will be compelling to watch. However, some student-athletes have already announced intentions to transfer from their respective programs, including Miami guard Jalil Bethea. A familiar face to KU fans, the Philadelphia native is an intriguing option for next year's squad.
NEWS: Miami guard Jalil Bethea is entering the transfer portal, he tells @on3sports.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 21, 2025
The 6-5 freshman is a former 5⭐️ recruit. https://t.co/HPpAF0CKiD pic.twitter.com/P3etwhiL2r
Kansas Jayhawks should target Jalil Bethea in the transfer portal
Coach Self kept close tabs on Bethea coming out of high school. He took an official visit to Kansas in August 2023, though he committed to Miami less than a month later. Could the Jayhawks target Bethea now that another opportunity has risen?
The No. 7 ranked player in the Class of 2024, Bethea's freshman season did not go as planned. Hurricanes head coach Jim Larrañaga retired during the middle of the season after he voiced his frustration with the current landscape of college basketball. Miami was the worst team in the ACC, finishing with a 7-24 record on the season, which clearly affected Bethea's play.
In 31 games (16 starts), Bethea averaged 7.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on 36.8% field goal shooting. While he was not in an optimal situation as a freshman, Self could swoop in and tap into his potential. With the right coaching, Bethea could transform into a terrific college player.
Bethea will likely be one of the first guards on KU's radar. The only question is whether the Jayhawks will look to recruit over returning guards like Elmarko Jackson, Jamari McDowell, and Rakease Passmore. However, if there is anything that Kansas fans have learned over the past couple of seasons, it is that schools can never go after too many players in the unpredictable era of the transfer portal.