Syracuse guard JJ Starling had one of his worst performances of the season in a recent game. The junior posted a season-low four points on 14% shooting against Louisville in a loss last week.
Before this poor performance, the Baldwinsville native had recorded three consecutive games in double figures, including two straight 20-point performances. Starling was sidelined due to a left hand injury ahead of this stretch.
Outside of all of these numbers, Starling bounced back as a leader on the court and showed why he remains the guy that Syracuse can rely on. After SU trailed by nine at halftime in Saturday’s game against Notre Dame, Starling turned on the jets and ended up with 21 points and a season-high three triples en route to a victory.
Head coach Adrian Autry explained after the Notre Dame game, “once we got into halftime, he said ‘we got this.’ He knew what he had to do. JJ is our leader. He’s really starting to understand and see that. We have to have him stay aggressive no matter what. Sometimes those shots are going to be forced. We need him to take those shots.”
Guard Jaquan Carlos has also been a key factor into why Starling has thrived. Carlos finished with five points and three assists in the win over the weekend against Notre Dame. His passing has allowed Starling to play off the ball more.
“We knew we had to have JJ score the basketball this year,” said Autry. “He can’t always score at the point. Move him off the ball and let him come in and play that way.”
Starling executed down the stretch and found his rhythm.
“When we got him the ball a little bit below the foul line, it was easier for him to make decisions,” said Autry. “He stayed aggressive. We need him to be that way. He made big shots when we needed it, and it energized our guys.”
That’s what a leader does: take the blame, regroup, and show out in the next game. Starling deserves a lot of credit for his response on Saturday.
He can continue his strong play when Syracuse travels to Clemson tomorrow night for a 7:00 P.M. contest.
