Syracuse Basketball: J.J. Starling in top 5 nationally in final transfer ratings

Syracuse basketball commit J.J. Starling is a top-five transfer across the country in final rankings from one of the primary recruiting services.

With the NCAA’s transfer portal closed to players who have not graduated, 247Sports has disclosed its final top-150 transfer rankings for this off-season. J.J. Starling arrived at No. 5 nationwide.

The 6-foot-4 Starling, a Central New York native, said he would transfer from Notre Dame to the Orange in March. Last month, the freshman guard officially signed with Syracuse basketball, according to SU Athletics.

In the 2022-23 season for the Fighting Irish, J.J. Starling averaged 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. He was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference’s All-Freshman team.

As a senior at the powerhouse La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., Starling was a McDonald’s All-American and rated as a consensus five-star, top-25 national prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle.

Syracuse basketball pledge J.J. Starling is one of the top transfers nationally.

The final 247Sports transfer playing rankings includes numerous other familiar names. Auburn freshman guard Chance Westry, who is transferring to the Orange as well, checks in at No. 74 overall.

Westry, a 6-foot-6 guard, didn’t play much in 2022-23 for the Tigers due to injury, but he was a four-star, top-40 overall player in the 2022 class.

Hunter Dickinson, a Michigan junior center who recently said he would transfer to Kansas, is No. 1. Dickinson was pursued by Syracuse basketball this off-season, and he held a Zoom meeting with the Orange coaching staff.

Senior center Jesse Edwards, who transferred from the ‘Cuse to West Virginia, resides at No. 4 overall. Former Syracuse basketball senior shooting guard Joe Girard III, who is transferring to Clemson, is No. 46 nationwide.

Former Orange forward Quincy Guerrier, who recently said he would transfer from Oregon to Illinois, is No. 116.

Arthur Kaluma, a sophomore forward at Creighton who held a Syracuse basketball scholarship offer while in high school, is No. 18. He is also testing the 2023 NBA Draft waters.

Isaiah Miranda, a freshman big man at N.C. State who also was a former Orange recruiting target, is No. 107. Miranda, too, is going through the 2023 NBA Draft process.

When I wrote this column, Rivals.com put J.J. Starling at No. 11 overall and Westry at No. 58 nationally.

Also at the time of this writing, On3 put Starling at No. 7, Westry at No. 105 and new Syracuse basketball commit Naheem McLeod at No. 245.

Just in recent days, McLeod said he would transfer from Florida State to the Orange. He is a 7-foot-4 sophomore center who recently took an official visit to the ‘Cuse campus and hails from Philadelphia.