Syracuse basketball wants ‘me to come there,’ 4-star J.J. Starling says

Syracuse basketball 2022 high-priority target J.J. Starling recently took an official visit to the Hill, and he said in an interview that this trip went well. That’s highly encouraging.

Still, the competition for the stellar four-star guard and Central New York native is quite intense, and it seems that the 6-foot-3 Starling is taking his time with his recruiting process.

Besides an official visit to the ‘Cuse, Starling has traveled to Maryland, Connecticut and Alabama of late. He holds a bunch of impressive scholarship offers, including from blue-blood squads Kansas and Duke.

The Blue Devils, a fellow Atlantic Coast Conference group, offered Starling not too long ago, and that offer is a worrisome one for Orange fans, in my opinion.

That being said, Syracuse basketball coaches have targeted Starling for quite some time, offering him a scholarship about two years ago. And he has said in past interviews that he’s in consistent communication with the ‘Cuse coaching staff.

Starling continues to rise up the national rankings for his cycle, and he’s universally deemed a top-50 prospect at this juncture, according to all of the primary recruiting services. Several recruiting insiders have said that Starling is potentially headed toward five-star status.

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

Depending on the recruiting Web site, Starling is listed as either a point guard or a combo guard. In a recent Q&A, Starling told SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister that Orange coaches are recruiting him as a point guard and a shooting guard.

I believe that’s an important facet to note. Syracuse basketball is also in the running for 2022 four-star point guard Quadir Copeland and 2022 four-star combo guard Chance Westry.

That Starling and Westry can play both guard positions, while Copeland is more of a pure point guard, may help the Orange’s chances to land two of these three 2022 guard prospects.

"When McAllister asked Starling what the message is from ‘Cuse coaches to him, Starling said in part, “Their main message to me is they want me to come in and be a scorer for them. Be one of the main scorers. They were basically saying the 22 class is really important because they’re going to have a lot of guards graduating. How it would be a big pickup if I go there. They already have some really good commits. They want me to come there and commit. That was just the main thing.”"

Starling, who runs with the Albany City Rocks in AAU events, said to McAllister that he could make a commitment announcement in the early to mid-fall. He is a junior at the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., and previously starred at Charles W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, N.Y.