Notre Dame transfer JJ Starling commits to Syracuse

Notre Dame transfer JJ Starling has committed to Syracuse, he told On3.

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard entered the transfer portal on Monday after a strong freshman season with the Fighting Irish, averaging 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. Starling also shot 42.1% from the field and 29.9% from three.

Starling is from Upstate New York, so this is very much so a “coming home party” for the former five-star and McDonalds’ All-American.

JJ Starling spoke with On3 regarding his transfer to the Orange.

Starling on his transfer to Syracuse

“I decided to transfer to Syracuse because I felt like it was a great fit for me,” Starling said to On3.

Starling considered Syracuse coming out of high school, along with Duke, Northwestern, and others.

“The coaching staff at Cuse are people I know I can put my trust in to handle and manage my career the right way. Also, being able to play on one of the biggest stages in college basketball is definitely noteworthy, and being able to have my parents and other relatives alongside me and come out to games and support me sounds amazing, especially when they rarely were able to do so through my career.”

After 47 hears at the helm, Jim Boeheim announced he would be retiring from head man at Syracuse last week. Former Cuse player and longtime coach Adrian “Red” Autry took over as head coach. Starling’s relationship with coach Autry made all the difference.

“My relationship with coach Autry is very strong,” Starling continued. “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.”