Former Syracuse guard J.J. Starling reportedly commits to Buffalo
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Former Syracuse men’s basketball guard J.J. Starling has committed to Buffalo, Jon Rothstein reported Thursday.
Starling is still pursuing a fifth year of eligibility that’d allow him to join the Bulls for the upcoming season.
His name is included in a state lawsuit filed in California.
The Baldwinsville native is one of the latest class of 2022 recruits seeking another year of eligibility in response to the NCAA changing its rules this summer to allow athletes five years of eligibility. On July 31, a Colorado judge ordered a preliminary injunction to grant the 2022 class a fifth year of eligibility, but the NCAA halted the order in August. Lawsuits for athletes have played out ever since.
Starling spent three years at SU, corresponding with former head coach Adrian Autry’s time helming the program. After transferring to Syracuse from Notre Dame after one season, he averaged 13.8 points, 2.3 assists per game and 3.2 rebounds per game across his three campaigns.
As the 2025-26 campaign sputtered to an end and Autry was fired, it looked like Starling’s college career was over. But he’s shown his intention to return to New York by joining Buffalo, which finished 17-15 last season.
