Syracuse basketball landing CNY native, 4-star J.J. Starling, would be big

Syracuse basketball 2022 four-star target J.J. Starling now suits up for a national prep-school powerhouse, but he’s a Central New York native who previously starred at Charles W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, N.Y.

He recently told a national recruiting analyst that he communicates with the Orange more than any other team, although competition for the elite point guard is intense and continues to grow.

Starling, a junior at the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., holds a range of high-major scholarship offers. Recent offers include from blue-blood squad Kansas out of the Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference member Stanford, and Big Ten Conference team Maryland.

The ‘Cuse offered Starling back in August of 2019, and other prior offers that arrived for him include from Mike Hopkins-led Washington, Nate Oats-led Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Miami, St. John’s, Connecticut, Marquette, Providence, Penn State and Wake Forest.

Mike McAllister, the publisher of SyracuseOnSI, recently published a Q&A with Starling. When asked what teams, besides Syracuse basketball, are recruiting him hard, Starling replied, “Maryland, UConn for sure, Stanford, there’s more than that. There’s a lot of schools prioritizing me and it’s an amazing feeling.”

Syracuse basketball is in a recruiting battle for 2022 four-star point guard J.J. Starling.

Starling had a strong junior season for the La Lumiere School. He competes on the AAU circuit for the Albany City Rocks, whose alumni base features numerous current and former Orange players.

The majority of recruiting services rank Starling a top-60 prospect overall in his class. As he continues to shine for the La Lumiere School and the Albany City Rocks, Starling’s national rating could absolutely rise.

He told McAllister that he’s still working out a list of schools that he will officially visit, and Starling adds that Syracuse basketball has a solid chance at obtaining a visit from him.

As far as trimming his list of contenders and ultimately making a decision, Starling said that he doesn’t have a specific timeline. My hope is that the ‘Cuse remains in the running for the foreseeable future.

Syracuse basketball, in recent years, has picked up some commitments from local players in Central New York and other surrounding regions.

Conversely, the Orange has missed out on a handful of local prospects, such as 2022 four-star guard Roddy Gayle Jr., 2020 four-star wing Andre Jackson and 2019 five-star center Isaiah Stewart.

Given Starling’s ties to CNY, and that ‘Cuse coaches have courted him for nearly two years, it would prove a huge momentum boost for the team’s local recruiting efforts if Starling elects to don a Syracuse basketball uniform when his recruiting process culminates.