JJ Starling’s first recreation again from harm: His evaluation, his free throw clarification – Syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. – He described what was basically his first recreation of the 2025-26 season as a disappointment.
JJ Starling, Syracuse’s senior guard, had been sidelined for the reason that opening minutes of opening night time. An harm, described by SU officers as a “decrease physique” state of affairs, stored him out of the Orange males’s first three video games.
On Tuesday within the JMA Wi-fi Dome, he began at taking pictures guard and performed a complete of 26 minutes. He scored 11 factors on 4-of-6 taking pictures and made the one 3-pointer he tried. He struggled on the free throw line, going 2-for-5 because the Orange worked to close out Monmouth, 78-73.
“I simply know who I’m, OK? And I do know what I confirmed through the years. And harm or not, that wasn’t me,” Starling mentioned. “I can do higher to assist the workforce, not even simply offensively.”
His coach and his teammates had been extra charitable.
Adrian Autry mentioned he tried to restrict Starling to “quick stints” to acclimate him to the sport. Starling mentioned he’d been capable of follow during the last couple weeks. However these exercises couldn’t simulate precise recreation expertise.
He mentioned he felt bodily succesful on the market, unimpeded by a mended leg.
“General, I believed his competitiveness took over and he needed to push a little bit bit extra,” Autry mentioned. “However I believed JJ was high quality for the primary time being on the market for some time.”
What Starling does greatest is assault the rim.
He completed that towards Monmouth, although he acknowledged he might have been extra aggressive. He took the primary shot of the sport, a layup he missed. He didn’t try one other shot till the 6 minute, 36-second mark of the primary half. That one, a lefty end within the lane, went in.
As a result of Starling is so good at reaching the rim, he invariably will get fouled. Normally, that’s a superb factor. However on Tuesday night time, he struggled to make free throws. He missed three of 5. Two of these misses had been airballs.
Starling resolved late Tuesday night time to get into the fitness center on Wednesday, an off day for the Orange, to work on free throws. There can be moments this season, he mentioned, when free throws can win (or lose) video games. Syracuse shot 57.6% from the line towards Monmouth.
Starling was a 68.5% free throw shooter final season. No SU participant tried extra free throws than he did in 2024-25.
“I imply, there’s generally after I’m simply in my head. I don’t know,” he mentioned when requested if he felt snug on the line. “So, I really feel like I’m too good a participant to try this. I would like to only lock in mentally and like I mentioned, be extra targeted and simply be fearful about what I do quite than take into consideration a thousand various things.”
Syracuse Orange Mens Basketball 2025-26: Syracuse vs. Monmouth
Autry described taking pictures basically as “a whole lot of psychological stuff.” There’s a fragile steadiness to addressing one thing like free throw taking pictures, he mentioned. Principally, the workers tries to get Starling as many reps as it may to make sure extra success on the line.
“He’ll be higher. I’m not fearful about that,” Autry mentioned. “He hasn’t performed in a pair days however I believe he’ll get again. He’ll discover his rhythm, his taking pictures rhythm.”
Starling acknowledged there was rust to wash off in his first recreation again.
He longed to be out on the basketball courtroom for SU’s first three video games. However with out that bodily risk, he watched and discovered.
He noticed how the rotations unfolded on protection. He acknowledged numerous reads on the offensive aspect of the ball. He tried to lend a vocal presence on the SU sideline.
On Tuesday, Starling skilled the distinction between watching and enjoying. And if he wasn’t happy along with his efficiency, he has these subsequent few video games to remodel into the participant he believes he’s.
“These guys have had three video games below their belt and so they performed large and I used to be sidelined,” he mentioned. “So, it was simply getting again into that groove and constructing chemistry again up with these guys after not having me on the courtroom. So yeah, it was rust for certain.”
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