Duke basketball: Ranking the 5 finalists for JJ Starling
By Matt Giles
2. Syracuse
First, we should note here that Syracuse and Duke seem to practically be in a tie for JJ Starling’s services at the moment.
That said, we don’t do ties around here.
No, somebody has to be in the top spot. And it isn’t Jim Boeheim’s Orange. Still, though, his program does have an advantage in the proximity department, considering Starling’s roots are in Baldwinsville, N.Y., located on the outskirts of Syracuse.
Also, Starling is currently on his second official visit there. Speaking to Joe Tipton beforehand, he confirmed his high level of comfort with the coaches:
“What I really like about them is the coaching staff. As a player, the coach is very important. I got to have a bond with them and be able to connect with them and be able to talk to them outside of basketball so I can perform the way I perform. Same with the guys on the court. I don’t want to be playing with toxic teammates. I wanna play with guys ready to win and guys who play the right way.”
At this juncture, though, there are still no experts at any major recruiting sites who have entered predictions for Syracuse to haul in Starling.
That leads us to the Duke basketball program.