Class of 2022 PG JJ Starling (Baldwinsville / La Lumiere) Offered

[Bulldog04]

Main story - local kids don’t like when hometown schools doesn’t make them feel welcome. Once SU went the dior route he wasn’t thrilled and he hasn’t really gotten over that yet. Staff is trying but this will not happen in my opinion

 

[721Comstock]

With all due respect to you and money above [who has great info], I don't believe that this is 100% true. Just for a recent comparison, Isaiah Stewart was supposedly 100% locked into going to Georgetown as a sophomore in HS, until he wasn't later on. Things change.

I think people are putting too much stock into the UNC dream school thing. Maybe JJ would have been receptive to playing for the hometown school, if we'd continued to recruit and shown him the love.

Yeah, but - showing the love goes both ways.

When you get vibes that it's not happening, continuing to push to try to make it happen anyway -
becomes stalkerish.
Which works just as well in recruiting as it does in dating, I'd imagine.

Player X really isn't into your school?
just recruit them harder, dammit!!!!!

 

[RF2044]

Yeah, but - showing the love goes both ways.

When you get vibes that it's not happening, continuing to push to try to make it happen anyway -
becomes stalkerish.
Which works just as well in recruiting as it does in dating, I'd imagine.

Player X really isn't into your school?
just recruit them harder, dammit!!!!!

Again, I don't believe that he was as unreceptive as it is being made out. We might not have been his top choice, but that's what the recruiting process is -- it's a pitch. And as dominoes topple, some possibilities open up and others close off.

What I do know with 100% certainty is that you don't make headway when you don't even make the effort.

Now, land Taylor / Rodgers to play the wings, and I'll be extremely happy, and it would more than offset missing out on JJ. I just hate losing out on an immensely talented prospect in our back yard because we decided not to put in the effort. Our coaches should know better, in light of how some recruiting situations have unfolded for our program in recent years.

 

[hoopsupstate]

I would take JJ over Dior any day. One year wonders, unless your name is Camelo, don’t usually work out well. Even Zion couldn’t get Duke to the final four.

 

[maxxyz]

Respect your takes Sher but there are posters who when they say something it’s a factual and not opinion. Like Dasher and RF if they say it then it’s money to the bank.

While I understand the idea of this staff on this it appears to have been a misfire.

So in post #447 dasher and rf have diametrically opposed opinions. So whose money is in what bank?

We blew it, pushing all of our chips in on Dior.

And now that he's at La Lumiere, sayonara.

JJ has always had UNC has his #1 school. I don't think we blew anything here. Plus, we did get a commit from Dior who rightly or wrongly, didn't think was going straight to pro ball. No one here was complaining when Dior committed. There are numerous problems with our recruiting. I really don't think this is one of them. Plus, we haven't lost him yet,. Although, it doesn't look great at this point.

 

[Alsacs]

So in post #447 dasher and rf have diametrically opposed opinions. So whose money is in what bank?

I would just trust what they say. They are saying similar things.

 

[dasher]

So in post #447 dasher and rf have diametrically opposed opinions. So whose money is in what bank?

I would bet RF on this. And maybe it is the same just from a different angle. I don't blame the coaches for going all out for Dior. Someone here might call him a generational talent. But it won't be me.

 

[721Comstock]

I would bet RF on this. And maybe it is the same just from a different angle. I don't blame the coaches for going all out for Dior. Someone here might call him a generational talent. But it won't be me.

DRINK!

 

[OrangeAl]

Again, I don't believe that he was as unreceptive as it is being made out. We might not have been his top choice, but that's what the recruiting process is -- it's a pitch. And as dominoes topple, some possibilities open up and others close off.

What I do know with 100% certainty is that you don't make headway when you don't even make the effort.

Now, land Taylor / Rodgers to play the wings, and I'll be extremely happy, and it would more than offset missing out on JJ. I just hate losing out on an immensely talented prospect in our back yard because we decided not to put in the effort. Our coaches should know better, in light of how some recruiting situations have unfolded for our program in recent years.

You make it sound like you know the staff is not putting in the effort. Are you an insider or just imagining?

 

[SUOrangeSU]

he's also not really a pg. Another "let's convert him" type of player. Some do pan out but I like a pure lead guard tbh

 

[Cusefan0307]

Starling reminds me a lot of Brandon Triche. Not that that’s a bad thing, but he’s not a pure PG in that sense.

 

[Trueblue25]

Starling reminds me a lot of Brandon Triche. Not that that’s a bad thing, but he’s not a pure PG in that sense.

I like that comparison. I remember being in middle school watching triche play some HS games. He was a CNY HS legend at the time

 

[RF2044]

I would bet RF on this. And maybe it is the same just from a different angle. I don't blame the coaches for going all out for Dior. Someone here might call him a generational talent. But it won't be me.

Not sure what we're betting on.

Here's my position. I don't care how good Dior is, recruiting a guy like that [who is a bit of a headcase, putting it mildly] is fraught with risk. Especially years before such a flaky guy will ever set foot on campus. The coaches knew that, but decided to stop recruiting some other guys despite the intention to bring two guards in for the class of '22. That was a mistake. I'm certainly willing to bet that having JJ is better than not having Dior, no matter what their respective rankings are. And at the end of the day, that's what we ended up with -- no Dior.

Secondly, I don't view JJ as an either-or proposition with Dior, I view him as the second guard in the class -- so it really came down to a player like JJ vs. Westry [who we also likely won't land]. Agree 100% with the posts right above this that correctly list JJ as a combo guard. In our system, he certainly COULD transition to being a point guard, but he could also play alongside someone like Dior [or Kadary], and be a scoring guard. Or maybe start out as a combo / scoring guard, and then switch to PG later on in his career.

Overall, my gripe is more about the approach to recruiting, not Dior vs. Kadary. Our staff has shown a tendency to go all in, often with subpar results, or to drop the ball with recruits we have a solid chance with at key positions of need. Both of those situations are avoidable.

 

[Trueblue25]

It’s not too late JJ, UNC’s swirling the toilet bowl

 

[Sherman20]

It’s not too late JJ, UNC’s swirling the toilet bowl

Good call here. With how difficult and isolating this year has been, I still don’t understand why a Syracuse kid like JJ wouldn’t want to spend a couple years playing in front of family and friends right in his hometown and for a hall of fame coach. That’s a special opportunity. Hopefully being away from home at prep school has made him see that.

 

[cusefan88]

Good call here. With how difficult and isolating this year has been, I still don’t understand why a Syracuse kid like JJ wouldn’t want to spend a couple years playing in front of family and friends right in his hometown and for a hall of fame coach. That’s a special opportunity. Hopefully being away from home at prep school has made him see that.

Idk if this is true but I heard he doesn't want to play 2-3 zone.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Possibly, but for years I’ve heard he’s never been interested from people who know him. Things may have changed given different circumstances, but he has been set on going away for a while.

My son was friends with JJ at Bville. He was alway about UNC.

 

[CuseRunner]

My son was friends with JJ at Bville. He was alway about UNC.

JJ was born and raised in Syracuse. Unless he has family in NC this is Cuse fan country especially for a kid growing up here. UNC might not want him.

 

[Cuse1055]

JJ was born and raised in Syracuse. Unless he has family in NC this is Cuse fan country especially for a kid growing up here. UNC might not want him.

You’d be surprised how many UNC and Duke gear there is at the dome for basketball as well as Florida State and Clemson for football. It’s kind of sad truthfully.

 

[hoopsupstate]

I don’t even know if we stay in touch with him. The tea leaves have never been good with hIm.

 

[sufandu]

My son was friends with JJ at Bville. He was alway about UNC.

Can't blame him. They've always played a fast pace style under Roy. It'll be interesting to see where they go now that he's retired.

 

[SYR2RDU]

I have no clue why people keep bringing him up with UNC.

Yes he has liked UNC growing up. But he DOES NOT have a UNC offer and there has been no real communication.

I like a lot of things that I will never have.

 

[Cuse1055]

I have no clue why people keep bringing him up with UNC.

Yes he has liked UNC growing up. But he DOES NOT have a UNC offer and there has been no real communication.

I like a lot of things that I will never have.

Correct and he’s also not coming here unfortunately.

 

[PauliePeppas]

Seems like an Ohio St lean...him and Gayle together will be tough to watch

 

[Cuse_bball]

Seems like an Ohio St lean...him and Gayle together will be tough to watch

They have two other guards in that class already commited with gayle so that wouldn’t make much sense. His lead recruiter at notre dame also left the team last year so I’m not sure where his recruitment stands.