Incoming Notre Dame Basketball freshman could be 1-and-done
The Irish saw one of their best players get drafted into the NBA, when Blake Wesley went to the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 25 overall selection. Wesley was the first selection from the Irish since Demetrius Jackson was selected in the second round in 2016, ending an obvious drought for the Irish.
If CBS Sports is correct, then it will be back-to-back years with a first-round selection if their prediction on incoming freshman JJ Starling is correct. A McDonald’s All-American, Starling is one of best recruits to head to South Bend in years but it looks like his stay could be short.
Strong 20-point showing for La Lumiere's JJ Starling vs. Legacy. Notre Dame might lose Blake Wesley but Irish just re-up with another scoring guard. Shot-maker with burst, developing creation skill. pic.twitter.com/yBR2URydON
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) January 7, 2022
The projection sees Starling getting selected at No. 20, to the Utah Jazz, explaining “his inside-out game makes him an interesting projection to the NBA as someone who may be able to function as an score-first initiator.”
Although this is just a projection, it’s still a good sign for Mike Brey and the Irish. Replacing Wesley will not be an easy task but Starling is good enough to hopefully bridge the gap for more than just one year.
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