Syracuse Basketball: J.J. Starling is home, Adrian Autry huge reason why

J.J. Starling quickly committed to Syracuse basketball not long after entering the NCAA’s transfer portal, and the standout freshman guard for Notre Dame elected to join the Orange in large part because of his strong relationship with new ‘Cuse head coach Adrian Autry.

The 6-foot-4 Starling, a former five-star, top-25 national prospect in the 2022 class, committed to Syracuse basketball on Tuesday after hitting the portal on Monday.

On3 national analyst Joe Tipton first broke the news that Starling, a Central New York native, was coming back to the area after averaging 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in the 2022-23 stanza for the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame was awful in 2022-23, sporting a final record of 11-21. The Fighting Irish’s long-time head coach, Mike Brey, who recruited Starling, has moved on from the program.

Autry, last week, replaced legendary head coach Jim Boeheim at the helm of Syracuse basketball. And J.J. Starling told Tipton that his relationship with Autry proved a big-time factor in his deciding to commit to the Orange.

Syracuse basketball has landed one of the top transfers out there in J.J. Starling.

Starling played his junior and senior seasons at the powerhouse La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind. But before that, he was a star for Baker High School in Baldwinsville, N.Y. He knows the ‘Cuse hoops program well.

"“My relationship with coach Autry is very strong,” Starling said to Tipton. “That is a guy I know I can trust and he isn’t sugarcoating anything he’s telling me. I know he is going to be a coach that allows his players to play with freedom and also instill confidence in them whenever they need it. Lastly, the style of play fits perfectly because we are going to look to push the ball in transition a lot and be put in positions that allow us to do what we do best.”"

In high school, Syracuse basketball coaches prioritized Starling for a long time, first offering him a scholarship in August of 2019. He took two official visits to the Hill.

Ultimately, Starling had a final five of the ‘Cuse, Notre Dame, Duke, Northwestern and Stanford before picking the Fighting Irish in October of 2021.

When news broke earlier this season that Brey wouldn’t return in 2023-24 as Notre Dame’s head coach, I was kind of hoping Starling would enter the portal and consider Syracuse basketball.

He not only considered the Orange, but J.J. Starling also committed to the ‘Cuse – and fast. Starling was on the Atlantic Coast Conference’s All-Freshman team in 2022-23.

So was Syracuse basketball point guard Judah Mintz. I sincerely hope that Mintz returns, because an Orange backcourt of him and Starling could prove extremely dangerous.