Notre Dame Transfer JJ Starling Commits to Syracuse
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Syracuse basketball has started the Adrian Autry era with a bang. The Orange has landed a commitment from 6-4 Notre Dame transfer guard JJ Starling, according to ESPN. Starling is a local product originally starring at Baldwinsville High School before transferring to La Lumiere School. He picked the Irish out of high school over Syracuse, Alabama, Miami, Duke, Maryland and a host of others.
"My relationship with coach Autry is very strong," Starling said via ESPN. "That is a guy I know I can trust and he isn't sugarcoating anything. He is going to allow his players to play with freedom and also instill confidence whenever they need it. We are going to push the ball in transition and play to the best of our abilities with the utmost confidence. I will most likely be a point guard and shooting guard, but I am willing to play whatever role is necessary for us to win games.
"Being able to play on one of the biggest stages in college basketball is definitely noteworthy. Also, being able to have my parents and other relatives come out to games and support me sounds amazing, especially when they rarely were able to do so through my career."
Starling was one of the top guards in the 2022 recruiting class, earning a five star rating from 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN. He was also a McDonald's All American.
During his freshman season at Notre Dame, Starling showed flashes of greatness as he adjusted to the college game. He played in 28 games, starting 24. Starling averaged 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.7 steals in 29.6 minutes per game. That earned him a spot on the ACC's All Freshman Team. He was joined by Syracuse freshman guard Judah Mintz on that team, and the two could potentially pair up if Mintz elected to return to the Orange for a second season.
Starling is officially the first player (transfer, high school or JUCO) to commit to new Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry. This is a big get for the Orange's 2023-24 roster.
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