Syracuse Basketball: 4-star point guard target massively soars in rankings

Multiple national recruiting services have updated their 2022 rankings of late, and Syracuse basketball high-priority target J.J. Starling has made some big moves.

By extension, analysts say that the four-star Starling, given his recent play for the Albany City Rocks on the AAU circuit, is likely headed toward reaching five-star status.

His scholarship offer list, already impressive with Kansas, Connecticut, Maryland, Alabama and many others, is growing. Duke, for example, was a recent offer.

Despite the fierce competition for the 6-foot-3 Starling, who suits up at point guard and shooting guard, the Orange appears to be right in the running for the Central New York native.

Starling, who is one of the premier guards in the 2022 cycle, recently took an official visit to the ‘Cuse campus, and he has said in interviews that this trip went quite well.

Based on media reports, it could prove a while longer before he makes a commitment announcement, but I would imagine the Orange has a solid shot at remaining in contention until the end of Starling’s recruiting process.

Let’s see where Syracuse basketball four-star prospect J.J. Starling is presently ranked.

When Rivals.com recently updated its national ratings for the 2022 class, Starling represented one of the biggest gains. He is now at No. 46 nationally, as well as No. 14 at point guard.

The 247Sports recruiting service has Starling at No. 37 overall and No. 8 at combo guard. The industry-generated 247Sports Composite, meanwhile, places him at No. 38 across the country and No. 6 at combo guard.

Finally, when ESPN recently published new rankings for this cycle, Starling checked in at No. 38 nationally, along with No. 8 at shooting guard.

Based on all of these relatively new ratings for Starling, it’s safe to assume he is a consensus top-50 prospect at this juncture in the 2022 class.

What’s more, as his stock keeps on climbing, I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves into the top-25 overall by the time that his high-school hoops career culminates.

A lot of Syracuse basketball fans say on social media and in chat rooms that these recruiting rankings don’t matter. I use these ratings as context for my articles, but I do agree that what truly matters is how these high-school players fare in college, as opposed to where they got ranked prior to college.

That being said, to see Starling evolve into one of the best all-around prospects in his class is pretty darn cool. He formerly starred at Charles W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, N.Y., and is now a junior at the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind.

The Orange, and its fan base, would prove lucky to have Starling don a ‘Cuse uniform down the road.