Syracuse Basketball: J.J. Starling excellent, but his team falls to Oak Hill

Neil Adler

Syracuse basketball, J.J. Starling (Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

On Sunday afternoon, Syracuse basketball 2022 target J.J. Starling and his team, the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., faced off with another perennial prep-school powerhouse, the Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., as part of the St. James NIBC Invitational, a tournament being held in Springfield, Va.

In the most recent top-25 national rankings from MaxPreps, the Oak Hill Academy checked in at No. 4, while the La Lumiere School was No. 20.

This enticing match-up proved a close affair, with the Oak Hill Academy squeaking past the La Lumiere School, 52-49, according to statistics provided by legitstats.com.

Starling, a four-star point guard in the 2022 cycle who received a scholarship offer from the Orange back in the summer of 2019, fared well for the La Lumiere School.

He competed for 32 minutes and paced his team with 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including two made 3-point attempts. Starling also tallied four rebounds and three assists.

Syracuse basketball 2022 four-star prospect J.J. Starling continues to excel at high-school tourney.

While Starling performed at a high level against the Oak Hill Academy, the La Lumiere School as a collective unit struggled from beyond the arc and didn’t score a single point from the charity stripe.

Both 3-point and free-throw shooting proved major factors in the Oak Hill Academy prevailing. The Oak Hill Academy, just to refresh your memory, is the former school of 2022 five-star point guard Dior Johnson, who verbally committed to the ‘Cuse last February before reneging on that commitment last November.

In another recent game at the St. James NIBC Invitational, Starling led the La Lumiere School with 16 points, but the team lost, 57-46, to the Sunrise Christian Academy from Bel Aire, Kan., which was No. 3 in the latest MaxPreps top-25 rankings.

Starling is a Central New York product who transferred to the La Lumiere School from Charles W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, N.Y. His recruitment is quite competitive, although Starling has spoken highly of the Syracuse basketball program.

On Monday, Starling and the La Lumiere School are expected to square off at 11 am with Legacy Early College in Greenville, S.C. Legacy Early College was No. 24 in the most recent MaxPreps top-25 ratings.

Neil Adler

Since 2016, Neil has served as a writer with Inside The Loud House, while also taking on the role of editor in 2020. Neil, a graduate of Syracuse University in 2000, primarily covers 'Cuse basketball, football, recruiting, NIL and conference realignment issues. Neil has been an avid Syracuse sports enthusiast dating back to the 1980s. While with Loud House, Neil is regularly heard on the radio in Central New York, while also participating in numerous podcasts related to the 'Cuse. His exclusive reports are often picked up by other media outlets, too. When not writing about Syracuse sports, Neil also co-owns a marketing agency in the Washington, D.C., market. He loves playing hoops and buying basketball cards with his son, spending time with his parents, brother and nephews, and listening to Duran Duran.