Syracuse Basketball: 4-star J.J. Starling has new ranking, shines at event

Syracuse basketball continues to pursue Central New York product J.J. Starling, who has landed in the top-55 overall for the 2022 class in a new set of national rankings.

The 6-foot-3 Starling, a four-star point guard, has roughly a dozen scholarship offers from a range of high-majors. Starling, a junior at the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., has said in several interviews in recent months that the ‘Cuse remains in the running at this juncture.

Mike McAllister, the publisher of SyracuseOnSI, said of Starling in a recent article that “Syracuse remains in constant contact. Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Washington are the Orange’s competition.”

A former star at Charles W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, N.Y., Starling had a strong junior stanza, according to recruiting analysts. His current team, the La Lumiere School, recently participated in the 2021 GEICO Nationals, a tournament that helps to crown a high-school national champion.

Syracuse basketball 2022 target J.J. Starling is highly rated by recruiting Web sites.

Starling is deemed a four-star prospect by the bevy of main recruiting services. ESPN recently updated its national rankings for the 2022 cycle, and Starling checks in at No. 54 across the country.

The 247Sports Composite has him at No. 55 overall, and Starling is No. 64 via 247Sports and No. 104 at Rivals.com, which is too low in my opinion. Starling is also a top-10 point guard in his class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

On the AAU circuit, Starling suits up for the Albany City Rocks, whose alumni include current Orange players Buddy Boeheim, Joe Girard III and Symir Torrence.

Dushawn London, a national analyst for 247Sports, wrote in a piece that Starling was among the stand-outs at the recent Team Final Scrimmages event in Wilmington, Del.

"London notes that Starling “had a great outing, shooting the ball from three and giving his team a spark on the offensive side of the ball. He looked very comfortable and finished very well creating contact and body control while still finding his open teammates.”"

Competition is obviously intense for Starling, but he does hail from the CNY region. The ‘Cuse recently picked up its first 2022 commitment, elite wing Kamari Lands out of Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif., and Starling would make a tremendous addition to this class for Syracuse basketball.