Guard JJ Starling’s quick plunge into the transfer portal on Monday morning made the rebuild for the next Notre Dame men’s basketball coach a bit more challenging than it already was.
The former McDonald’s All-American’s quick landing spot of Syracuse on Tuesday ratchets that reality up a bit more, as the Irish will have to play against the sophomore-to-be for at least next season.
The 6-foot-4 Baldwinsville, N.Y., product reportedly chose the Orange over the likes of Alabama, Kansas, North Carolina, Indiana, UCLA, Auburn and Tennessee, and cited a close relationship to new Syracuse coach Adrian Autry as a primary reason for returning home to upstate New York.
The Syracuse campus is 15 miles from where Starling grew up. He played his high school ball, though at La Lumiere School near LaPorte, Ind.
Starling averaged 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists as a freshman for the Irish (11-21, 3-17 ACC) in head coach Mike Brey’s final season. He was one of three ND players to enter the portal on Monday, along with freshman forward Dom Campbell and grad senior guard Robby Carmody, who retains a season of eligibility from the COVID exemption.
Starling played in 28 of ND’s 32 games this season, starting 24. Their other four starters and top-scoring reserve all have expiring eligibility and won’t return.
Notre Dame’s search for Brey’s successor heats up this week, but the timeline is affected by coaches who have teams in the NCAA Tournament. It is hoped that athletic director Jack Swarbrick could finalize a decision by next week.
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