SYRACUSE, N.Y. — JJ Starling is expected to be fine. Just minutes into the season-opening game against Binghamton, Starling went down with a leg injury and missed the remainder of the contest. The senior
guard went into the locker room briefly before rejoining his team from the Syracuse bench.
“JJ will be fine,” Adrian Autry said post-game.
Starling, a leader and captain of this year’s Orange team, went down and grabbed at his right hamstring just minutes into the game against Binghamton. Without knowing definitive details immediately after the game, Autry suggested the injury wasn’t serious.
“It was a good sign for him to come back out,” Autry said. “If it was something serious I’d probably know by now.”
Starling returned to the Syracuse bench in the first half with a towel over his head. Out of halftime, former Syracuse point guard Lazarus Sims spoke with Starling in brief before he returned to bench. Starling had his jumpsuit on knowing his night was finished.
With Syracuse’s leading returning scorer out, Autry turned to freshman guard Kiyan Anthony who finished with 15 points in his Syracuse debut. Anthony started the second half in Starling’s place.
“As soon as he went down Coach Red came up to me and told me I might have to step in there and start the second half,” Anthony said.
How did Anthony handle that news on the fly?
“It’s a next guy up mentality,” Anthony said. “I stepped up, guys came off the bench in the second half and stepped up. We put ‘em away.”
While sidelined with the injury Starling still made an impact. He served as an additional set of eyes, giving his teammates additional coaching from the sideline.
“That’s his attitude to be an alpha, to be a leader,” Anthony said. “He’s a senior here. He’s been here for three years. He’s seen it all. Whenever he talks the guys listen so I definitely look to his advice, to what he sees, especially being on the bench in the second half.”
Syracuse was able to handle Binghamton 85-47 in Starling’s absence.
