Syracuse Basketball Recruiting Impact: JJ Starling to Notre Dame
Syracuse basketball priority target JJ Starling is off to Notre Dame. What does this mean for the Orange? Here is a look at where the class currently stands and where Syracuse goes from here.
CURRENT CLASS
PG Quadir Copeland: A long, athletic guard who is a pass first type, Copeland has tremendous upside in Syracuse’s system. Think of the way Michael Carter-Williams impacted the game on both ends. With his length, he has the potential to do similar things. Copeland may not be as highly rated as MCW was out of high school, but he can really play.
SG Justin Taylor: Taylor is one of the best shooters in the 2022 class. He has great size and can step in to the role Buddy Boeheim plays. Taylor is also adept at putting the ball on the floor and scoring in the lane. With his length, he can also slide down and play the three if needed. There is a reason schools like North Carolina, Indiana, Florida, Maryland, Virginia and others all wanted him.
C Peter Carey: Carey has perhaps the most upside in the class because of his elite athleticism with a seven foot frame. If he had played in the EYBL, Carey would have had double digit high major offers. He is a nice piece for Syracuse in this class, and gives them a big with a skill set they have not head in years.
WHO IS STILL AVAILABLE?
F Chris Bunch: Bunch is down to three schools: Rutgers, Syracuse and Washington. I think Syracuse has a leg up here, but Washington should be of concern as the lone west coast school. Bunch is playing in California but his family has ties to the east coast. Bunch has taken official visits to all three schools including two to Syracuse. He would be a tremendous get for the Orange. Bunch is a versatile forward who is a three level scorer and high level athlete.
PF Maliq Brown: Brown is a strong power forward who is efficient inside and plays with a lot of energy. He has multiple high majors after him and recently took an official to Syracuse. The Orange appears to be in the driver’s seat here but the recruitment is not over yet. Brown is good friends with Syracuse commit Justin Taylor, which only helps in the Orange’s pursuit.
WILL SYRACUSE PURSUE ANOTHER GUARD?
Nothing is certain in recruiting. There are a variety of scenarios that could play out. Starling could change his mind in a couple weeks and flip (highly unlikely). A high school prospect could emerge that Syracuse elects to pursue. An international prospect could emerge that Syracuse elects to pursue. The Orange could find a junior college option they like. The most likely scenario, however, is that Syracuse leaves the class of 2022 backcourt as is and uses the transfer portal if another guard is needed.
WHAT DOES STARLING’S DECISION MEAN FOR THE CLASS?
Syracuse’s 2022 class is still very solid. Copeland, Taylor and Carey are very good prospects. Any combination of them could turn out to be great collegiate players or even professionals. This does not disparage that in any way. However, not having Starling combined with the decommitment of Kamari Lands leaves the class without the headliner. Adding Bunch and Brown would certainly help that to some extent, but the elite top 25 rated prospect will not be there. The class would still be very good and continue an incline in Syracuse recruiting from 2021 when the Orange landed Benny Williams. But it is understandable if fans are a little disappointed at not landing one of those headliners.