J.J. Starling reflects on the bond of this team.
No matter what you think of this year's version of the Syracuse men's basketball team, this much is clear: These guys really do like each other and care about each other.
It was evident on Nov. 13 when I spoke to Kiyan Anthony after the Orange's win against Delaware State, and it was evident on Dec. 22 when the Orange routed Stonehill to wrap up non-conference play at 9-4.
And while good team chemistry is often regarded as a fundamental aspect of a college team, it isn't guaranteed, especially now in the era of player movement, the transfer portal and NIL. Building relationships can be hard in this era of college athletics, especially deep and meaningful ones.
What Anthony said then...
I approached Anthony after his first career start to talk about the fluidity with which he plays, and he said this, unprompted:
I mean, I think it's just natural. I don't go out there saying, 'you know, I'm trying to look cool, I'm trying to be smooth.' I just think that's my game, learning to play within the offense, not trying to stand out of the offense and go get the ball and shoot the ball every time. I'm in the nine to 11 field goal attempts per game, and I'm trying to just be efficient. You know, I shot 8-for-11 today, 6-for-10 last game, and the efficiency, the shots, going game speed in workouts, it's all paying off. So I'm just looking forward to playing with these guys for the rest of the season. We've got a great bond. We hang out off the court, and those are my brothers.
And what Starling is saying now...
Speaking after a 20-point performance against Stonehill, Starling said "we're very close. We all do stuff with each other outside of basketball. We hang out. We talk to each other, about real stuff, and that's what's allowed us to build chemistry on and off the court."
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How that can help moving forward
This sounds cliche, but it really is true: These bonds will help the Orange as they navigate the rest of this season. Syracuse faces an uphill climb to get to the NCAA Tournament, and they face a difficult test in the ACC, but if they are able to stay together, they just might be able to pull off something special in league play.
The Orange haven't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2020-21, and they'll need to finish near the top of the ACC in order to get back there this season.
Syracuse opens up the conference slate on Wednesday afternoon (2 p.m. ET) against Clemson. Our own Tom Goslowski (@TomGozz) will be there in person to cover it.
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