2022 Recruiting: JJ Starling

[UCfor3]

Baylor didn’t have a 5* G coming off the bench

Neither do we. The point is Baylor had playing time for all of them. Since when is a guy ranked around 40 a 5 star anyway? Even so. Good programs don't hand out starting jobs right out of the shoot to just anyone. Under the above scenario, it's ok for Sool to not start for 2 years ranked around 60 but it's not ok if a guy ranked around 40 comes off the bench for a bit? How does that make sense? Our shooting was awful last year. Since then, Hawkins is the only pure shooter we have added(Karaban hasn't committed yet). We lost Bouk and will lose Polley. Are we really in a position to turn one down? We are the only program in America that claims to be a blue blood but get the cold sweats worrying about everyones playing time and being too loaded at a position. If it makes a player not come here, so be it but that is for Coach to worry about. We as fans should be hoping for as much talent as possible.

 

[Mhuskmayne]

I can guarantee you Cole, Hawk, and AJ will bring more to the team in 2022 than JJ... and that isn’t a slight on JJ, he’s a baller

Pretty sure you can’t!

 

[bendm]

even the 1 right now are such nebulous positions

Even if Cole comes back for a 5th year? Having diggins start as a junior seem like the best succession plan anyone could hope for

 

[bendm]

it's ok for Sool to not start for 2 years ranked around 60 but it's not ok if a guy ranked around 40 comes off the bench for a bit

Yes exactly. I’m hoping Diggins is a 4 year player like bazz, whereas a 5* might only be around for 1 or 2 years.

If jj keeps trending up to a 5* he’ll be much higher than ~40

 

[UCfor3]

Yes exactly. I’m hoping Diggins is a 4 year player like bazz, whereas a 5* might only be around for 1 or 2 years. If jj finishes up as a 5* he’ll be much higher than ~40 as well

Ok, but you are dealing with a complete hypothetical. What evidence do we have that he is on the cusp of that other than 1 poster saying it "could" happen? Btw, if he does maybe guys already on the team need to worry about PT. The team could look extremely different in another year with all the movement in CBB. People also seem to forget that not every recruit pans out and not every player on the team develops as hoped.

 

[superjohn]

Neither do we. The point is Baylor had playing time for all of them. Since when is a guy ranked around 40 a 5 star anyway? Even so. Good programs don't hand out starting jobs right out of the shoot to just anyone. Under the above scenario, it's ok for Sool to not start for 2 years ranked around 60 but it's not ok if a guy ranked around 40 comes off the bench for a bit? How does that make sense? Our shooting was awful last year. Since then, Hawkins is the only pure shooter we have added(Karaban hasn't committed yet). We lost Bouk and will lose Polley. Are we really in a position to turn one down? We are the only program in America that claims to be a blue blood but get the cold sweats worrying about everyones playing time and being too loaded at a position. If it makes a player not come here, so be it but that is for Coach to worry about. We as fans should be hoping for as much talent as possible.

You just summed up Bendm's recruiting posts. He says he wants UConn to get all 4 and 5 star recruits but goes into cold sweats and tries to talk himself out of players coming here because there won't be playing time for them.

 

[bendm]

Ok, but you are dealing with a complete hypothetical.

Hypotheticals are my favorite

 

[UCfor3]

Baylor didn’t have a 5* G coming off the bench behind Mitchell Butler and Teague they had a joe dirt look alike

Btw, I'd kill for that Joe Dirt look alike. He could ball out and played like a 5 star in the tourney.

 

[UconnU]

In recent memory I haven’t seen a player we were in good with stick out on tape as much as starling. He just plays a notch faster than everyone else and doesn’t miss many shots. Good defender too. Want this one baddd. Look at this assist at 2:04 4 kids collapse on him as he attacks the rim, he created like 15 feet of separation for that open 3 all with his left lol.

 

[TeasedDonut]

Does anybody know if we are even still in the mix with Starling? Didn't seem like a good sign that he seemingly never made it to campus for his OV.

 

[bendm]

Does anybody know if we are even still in the mix with Starling?

per the tweet yesterday, tom moore seems to think so unless he's knowingly wasting his time

 

[HuskyHawk]

In recent memory I haven’t seen a player we were in good with stick out on tape as much as starling. He just plays a notch faster than everyone else and doesn’t miss many shots. Good defender too. Want this one baddd. Look at this assist at 2:04 4 kids collapse on him as he attacks the rim, he created like 15 feet of separation for that open 3 all with his left lol.

"Good defender" that's the question I was going to ask. As always, too much focus on shooting on offense here. Guys need to defend. I think part of what helps Hurley recruit is that kids are increasingly aware that the NBA values defense.

All this talk on whether he'd start is going to depend heavily on the defensive side of the ball.

 

[ucawn]

All this talk on whether he'd start is going to depend heavily on the defensive side of the ball.

That’s what I’m saying and compared to Cole and Andre he doesn’t know a lick of defense

 

[HuskyHawk]

That’s what I’m saying and compared to Cole and Andre he doesn’t know a lick of defense

I honestly don't know. I do think people are assuming Cole will be back. Maybe he wants to, maybe not. But I'm not sure we have a scholarship for him either. No freebie scholarships like this year.

 

[husky429]

That’s what I’m saying and compared to Cole and Andre he doesn’t know a lick of defense

He doesn't strike me as a great defender (like Hawkins) or a bad one (Diggins) at this point... he's just kind of fine.

To be fair he's guarding some REALLY talented players in the games I watched.

I expect if his college coach holds him accountable he'll be a positive defensive player, but not great because of size.

and fwiw I think Hawkins could be our best perimeter defender by January.

 

[TeasedDonut]

Forget about defense for a second and imagine a Starling/Hawkins backcourt offensively. The nets at Gampel may need to be replaced every game.

 

[bendm]

But I'm not sure we have a scholarship for him either. No freebie scholarships like this year.

not sure we have a scholly for cole? we still have an open scholarship this year that we can use in '22 and no one's using a freebie scholly anyways since we didnt go over 13 players in keeping whaley and polley.

we can still add karaban and jj and bring back cole in '22 assuming whaley, polley, and martin leave after this season. akok might leave too who knows.

1) cole; 2) digg; 3) gaff; 4) jj; 5) floyd; 6) hawk; 7) aj; 8) karaban; 9) akok; 10) samson; 11) springs; 12) sanogo; 13) don

 

[Waquoit]

I only follow recruiting through these posts. But doesn't the ebb and flow look promising here? UConn throwing the big guns at him at this point of the process seems very positive. The staff has been excellent at where they focus their resources over the years. They must feel they have a real shot.

 

[Mooch82]

not sure we have a scholly for cole? we still have an open scholarship this year that we can use in '22 and no one's using a freebie scholly anyways since we didnt go over 13 players in keeping whaley and polley.

we can still add karaban and jj and bring back cole in '22 assuming whaley, polley, and martin leave after this season. akok might leave too who knows.

1) cole; 2) digg; 3) gaff; 4) jj; 5) floyd; 6) hawk; 7) aj; 8) karaban; 9) akok; 10) samson; 11) springs; 12) sanogo; 13) don

This is my ideal 2022-23 roster.

 

[HuskyHawk]

not sure we have a scholly for cole? we still have an open scholarship this year that we can use in '22 and no one's using a freebie scholly anyways since we didnt go over 13 players in keeping whaley and polley.

we can still add karaban and jj and bring back cole in '22 assuming whaley, polley, and martin leave after this season. akok might leave too who knows.

1) cole; 2) digg; 3) gaff; 4) jj; 5) floyd; 6) hawk; 7) aj; 8) karaban; 9) akok; 10) samson; 11) springs; 12) sanogo; 13) don

I get that. But there are also several other guys we are recruiting. In other words, I'm not sure we have a scholarship we want to offer to Cole. I think that may depend on how Diggins and Gaff play, how Andre plays, and who might be willing to commit here.

 

[bendm]

I get that. But there are also several other guys we are recruiting. In other words, I'm not sure we have a scholarship we want to offer to Cole.

idk who you could be referring to. if we want to make a deep run in '22 then our starting PG isnt getting squeezed out by a 3* frosh like denver anglin. i also doubt we'd add a third G in the same class as floyd and hopefully starling or epps.

 

[navery12]

I get that. But there are also several other guys we are recruiting. In other words, I'm not sure we have a scholarship we want to offer to Cole. I think that may depend on how Diggins and Gaff play, how Andre plays, and who might be willing to commit here.

I think the fact that we're not recruiting a single PG for 2022 and would only have 1 on the roster in Diggins makes it pretty clear how Hurley feels about Cole getting a scholarship and coming back

 

[UconnU]

I think the fact that we're not recruiting a single PG for 2022 and would only have 1 on the roster in Diggins makes it pretty clear how Hurley feels about Cole getting a scholarship and coming back

JJ is now 6’4 and has never been a true point guard. He’s used a lot like how we used Bouknight off screens and as a scorer with the ball in his hands. Just seems to be a better passer than Bouk was.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think the fact that we're not recruiting a single PG for 2022 and would only have 1 on the roster in Diggins makes it pretty clear how Hurley feels about Cole getting a scholarship and coming back

Or it signals that he plans to give Jackson some run at PG. Especially as we are recruiting a 6'6" PG for 2023. Meanwhile, Gaffney is still a PG, even if most of us think he's likely to play off the ball more. Does Cole want to be in college for a 6th year?

 

[UconnU]

Or it signals that he plans to give Jackson some run at PG. Especially as we are recruiting a 6'6" PG for 2023. Meanwhile, Gaffney is still a PG, even if most of us think he's likely to play off the ball more. Does Cole want to be in college for a 6th year?

I read an article stating that JJ may be a late signee a lot can change in a year. Tom is a believer. I get the sense that this is a special project Tom is working he and JJ have been following each other on social media for at least the past year.