J.J. Starling shows off offensive prowess in SU’s 77-65 win over NC State
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On a night when Syracuse honored one of its all-time great scoring guards in Dave Bing, one of its current guards put on an offensive show. The Orange’s J.J. Starling displayed magnificent scoring ability throughout the contest, but one possession especially in the second half.
Off a steal, Judah Mintz threw a one-handed pass from midcourt to Maliq Brown. The forward then dished out a pass to Starling, who lurked in the corner. With no real pressure, Starling nailed his third 3-pointer of the night, giving SU a lead over 20 points.
Even as the early stages of Saturday night’s game were close, Syracuse (14-6, 5-4 Atlantic Coast) eventually steamrolled its way through NC State (13-7, 5-4 ACC) in a 77-65 win. The Orange relied on scoring options like Starling to knife through the Wolfpack’s defense. Although Mintz and Chris Bell scored 33 combined points, Starling tallied a career-high 26 points.
“I was paying attention to detail, making sure every rep felt clean,” Starling said postgame. “My teammates did a really good job of giving me the ball and I just felt hot. Every shot I put up felt good leaving my hands.”
Starling said that from the warmup, he knew he was going to have a great game. It didn’t take long for him to show it. Following two opening minutes of scoreless basketball, the Orange, and more specifically Starling, heated up, scoring his team’s first 10 points.
Bell passed to the curling Starling, who scored the first points of the night with a layup. Then on two NC State possessions where it tied the game, Starling responded by nailing two 3-pointers to give SU a three-point lead each time.
Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said over the past four games Starling’s confidence has improved and he has become much more aggressive when he shoots the ball.
“Even in the Florida State (game), he took the shots he normally makes. He didn’t make them that game,” Autry said. “But I think he has a confidence about him. I think him and Judah are really starting to gel a little bit.”
This hot start came after a Florida State loss that saw Syracuse only make a single 3 on 14 attempts. Starling said the Orange, who are 5-1 in games after a loss, knew that they couldn’t let this game get out of control.
Mintz mostly distributed, leading the team in assists, but he consistently drove to the basket without a second thought throughout the night. Mintz eventually knocked down three field goals. He ended up scoring 14 of his 20 points off of free throws.
But Mintz noted how his backcourt mate has improved throughout the season. Mintz said that even though Starling started the season not to “his standard,” there has certainly been positive growth.
The duo showed off the improved chemistry early in the game when Mintz worked in the paint before passing out to Starling at the left wing, who nailed his second 3-pointer of the game. Starling said he and Mintz are getting easier shots with their chemistry. With better shots, they are bound to fall in the hoop, Starling said.
With seven and a half to go before halftime, Starling showed off his moves. He crossed up Jayden Taylor and made a long 2-point jumper to increase the SU lead to five. Two minutes later, Benny Williams threw the ball down the floor to Starling. The guard went up for the layup and scored an and-1, putting the Orange up by double digits.
Starling also got some help and then some throughout the first half.
Bell became a secondary scoring option, making three 3-pointers over a two-minute stretch. After his third 3, NC State head coach Kevin Keatts called a timeout.
He even made the highlight play typically reserved for a player like Mintz when he threw down a windmill dunk off a steal. While he received a technical foul for the celebration and a subsequent stern mouthful from his head coach on the sideline, Bell was efficient down the stretch of the first half.
Still, Starling’s night was capped off by his much-improved shooting. Off a pass from Mintz, Starling converted on a fadeaway free throw with four and a half to go in the game. He also got the Orange into the double bonus as the Wolfpack attempted an ill-fated comeback, which Starling said came about because of SU playing more “lackadaisical” on defense, nailing two free throws to move the lead back up to double digits.
The beginning of the season for Starling was marred by ugly performances, including a 3-for-13 night in the opener against New Hampshire and a 0-for-6 line against LSU. But since the New Year, he has shot 49.3% on 75 shots.
There have been stinkers — Florida State and Boston College come to mind. But he has shown off recently. An 8-of-13 game against Miami. A 63% field goal percentage against Pittsburgh.
Starling, Mintz and Autry mentioned that Starling has been staying in the gym to practice more routinely to build up his confidence. Even in the postgame interview on the broadcast, Starling noted practicing consistently in the gym with associate head coach Gerry McNamara. Autry just unsurprisingly said he wants Starling to keep doing what he has been doing recently.
In the closing moments, Starling walked off the floor to head for the bench at the end of the handshake line to conclude the career night.
“For him to be having big games like this in crunch time for us, it just means the world to him and it means the world for us as a team,” Mintz said.
