Cuse lands top hoops transfer Starling from ND
Previous Notre Dame guard J.J. Starling, one of the leading college basketball transfers this spring, told ESPN he has dedicated to dip into Syracuse next season.
“I felt like it was a great fit for me,” Starling stated. “The coaching personnel are individuals I understand I can put my trust in to manage and handle my career properly.”
Starling will be the very first hire dedicated to play for freshly greasy head coach Adrian Autry, who replaces Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim after his 47-year reign at Syracuse. Starling was formerly greatly pursued by Autry, then the associate head coach, as his lead employer out of high school.
“My relationship with Coach Autry is extremely strong,” Starling stated. “That is a man I know I can rely on, and he isn’t sugarcoating anything. He is going to allow his players to play with flexibility and also instill confidence whenever they require it. We are going to push the ball in transition and play to the best of our abilities with the utmost confidence. I will probably be a point guard and shooting guard, however I want to play whatever function is necessary for us to win games.Editor’s Picks 2 Related”Being able to use among the biggest stages in college basketball is certainly notable. Also, being able to have my moms and dads and other loved ones come out to games and support me sounds remarkable, especially when they rarely were able to do so through my profession.”Starling chose Syracuse over interest from a host of schools, including Alabama, Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA, Tennessee, Auburn, Indiana and Oregon.He entered
the NCAA transfer website the first day it formally opened on Monday and wasted no time in electing to dedicate less than 24 hours later to the Orange, whose campus lies just 14 miles away from his home town of Baldwinsville, New York City.
“This was a pretty fast choice due to the fact that I understood what Cuse needs to use and I trust in that,” Starling stated. “I know I’m going to remain in the right hands that will help me grow as an individual on and off the court. I did not understand all along that I wanted to go house; I was going to entertain the coaches that were calling and getting in contact. However, instead of making it more difficult for my moms and dads and myself, we had a long discussion and understood that Cuse was the area for me.”
Starling was a McDonald’s All American and the No. 19 recruit in the Class of 2022, becoming a luxury prospect at La Lumiere School in Indiana and on the Nike EYBL circuit with Albany City Rocks. He averaged 11.2 points and 2.8 rebounds as a freshman at Notre Dame, playing his whole season as an 18-year old and being younger than a number of first-class employees in the 2023 high school class.A potential first-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft, Starling said he will not be getting in the 2023 draft.
“I will not be testing the waters,” he said. “I feel it would be best to come back to the college phase after having a year of growth and experience, and come back to get better and improve.”
Starling said although he didn’t have the year he hoped at Notre Dame, due to head coach Mike Brey’s choice in January to step down, he still learned a lot.
“Coach Brey was an excellent coach and person,” he said. “Even while going through bumpy rides, he tried his finest to ensure he was there for all of the players and continued to pass on the message: ‘We only have each other.’ I want him the best in whatever he decides to do.”