J.J. Starling says he'll join Syracuse in transfer from Notre Dame

Former Notre Dame guard J.J. Starling, one of the top college basketball transfers this spring, told ESPN he has committed to play at Syracuse next season.

«I felt like it was a great fit for me,» Starling told ESPN. «The coaching staff are people I know I can put my trust in to handle and manage my career the right way.»

Starling will be the first recruit committed to play for newly anointed head coach Adrian Autry, who replaces Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim after his 47-year reign at Syracuse. Starling was previously heavily pursued by Autry, then the associate head coach, as his lead recruiter out of high school.

«My relationship with coach Autry is very strong,» Starling said. «That is a guy I know I can trust and he isn't sugarcoating anything. He is going to allow his players to play with freedom and also instill confidence whenever they need it. We are going to push the ball in transition and play to the best of our abilities with the utmost confidence. I will most likely be a point guard and shooting guard, but I am willing to play whatever role is necessary for us to win games.

»Being able to play on one of the biggest stages in college basketball is definitely noteworthy. Also, being able to have my parents and other relatives come out to games and support me sounds amazing, especially when they rarely were able to do so through my career."

Starling picked Syracuse over interest from a host of schools, including Alabama, Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA, Tennessee, Auburn, Indiana and Oregon.

He entered the NCAA transfer portal the first day it officially opened on Monday and wasted no time in electing to commit less than 24 hours later to the Orange, whose campus is located just 14 miles away from his hometown of