Men's Basketball

JJ Starling, former McDonald’s All-American, transfers to Syracuse

Meghan Hendricks | Photo Editor

Starling averaged 11.2 points per game in his freshman year at Notre Dame and was the highest-ranked recruit in program history.

Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Former Baldwinsville High School star JJ Starling is transferring to Syracuse, according to On3.

Starling was ESPN’s No. 21 ranked player in the 2022 graduating class. He committed to Notre Dame over Syracuse, Duke, and others before averaging 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in his freshman year. Starling scored a season-high 23 points against Bowling Green, but missed the last four games of the season due to a knee injury.

Starling earned a spot in the McDonald’s All-American Game and became the highest-ranked recruit in Notre Dame program history, according to 247Sports. He began his high school career at Baldwinsville, transferring to La Lumiere in La Porte, Indiana, for the final two years of high school. He played for the AAU squad Albany City Rocks as well.

“Everyone sees the highlights and stuff, but no one sees what he does behind closed doors,” said City Rocks teammate Julian Brown. “When he transferred to La Lumiere, he was already a good player. He just needed that extra exposure.”



This is the first pick-up for new head coach Adrian Autry, who took over for Jim Boeheim on March 10. Starling told On3 that his relationship with Autry is “very strong” and that the style of play which he will implement, focused on getting as much as possible in transition, benefits Starling’s skills.

banned-books-01





Top Stories