Syracuse will lean on JJ Starling to be a leader on the court for Adrian Autry.
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
When asked who the voice would be in the locker room leading the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team this season during an ACC Network interview from media day, head coach Adrian Autry answered by naming a quintet of upperclassmen. The question was posed by Seth Greenberg, the former Virginia Tech head coach who gave Autry his start at the division one level.
Of the five players Autry mentioned, the name he began with first was his junior guard and returning leading scorer who’s expected to take on a larger role this season.
JJ Starling, the homegrown talent who grew up alongside Autry’s son Trey, will take on a leadership position with Syracuse this year. Now a junior, Starling will use his voice to lead a new group at Syracuse.
“It’s definitely new, especially with the new guys,” Starling said of being a leader. “But it hasn’t been a hard acclimation for me. They made it easy. Whether I’m leading verbally or by example.”
Starling will continue to build off of what he did last season where he averaged 13.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He excelled at finishing around the rim and in the mid-range game in his first year as a member of the Orange. He put extra work in, he said, on his jumpshot in the offseason — an area of his game he and Gerry McNamara worked diligently on mid-season to correct his form and reclaim some of the outside shooting touch he displayed as a high school player at Baldwinsville. Starling shared how he plans to round out his game in the year ahead. The defensive end is of more interest to him.
“Now I’m really getting more into the playmaking role, facilitating and also buying in on the defensive end. I’m really honing in on using my length, speed and athleticism,” Starling said.
Starling played his first year of college basketball at Notre Dame, a season where he endured a torn meniscus and injuries to both shoulders. After Mike Brey retired at the end of that season he chose to come home and play for a coach he had known since he was seven years old. The former McDonald’s All-American has since enjoyed the opportunity to play in his hometown where family and friends can watch him play.
“I haven’t been able to do that since high school,” Starling said. “So being able to see my mom and my dad in the stands — whether I’m having a bad game or good game — they’re on me. … Those are the people I’m doing it for.”
Starling will lead a club that is decidedly older than a season ago. A group comprised almost entirely of sophomores is now a team of upperclassmen, however, that team brings in seven new faces. Syracuse will hardly be a one man army as Starling will have plenty of help. But with so many new faces and a longstanding relationship with Autry, he’s the most veteran Syracuse player not named Chris Bell.
“It’s a new role for me,” Starling said, “but I’m willing to do it because we all want to win.”
