Which Syracuse player benefits most from the Starling Effect? Plus, 4 more things to know vs. Boston College

Syracuse, N.Y. ― Let’s call it the Starling Effect.

Syracuse has played eight games with JJ Starling in the lineup and seven games without him. The Orange has a 5-3 record with its junior guard on the floor and a 2-5 mark during the seven games he missed due to a broken left hand.

In his second game back from the injury, Starling made his presence felt in Syracuse’s 62-55 win over Georgia Tech on Tuesday, scoring a team-high 21 points and making some clutch plays in the game’s final minutes.

But the Starling Effect has more to do with how Starling’s presence (or absence) impacts other Syracuse players.

Most of the Syracuse players were asked to do more when Starling was out. Scoring averages generally went up, including those of Donnie Freeman, Eddie Lampkin, Jyare Davis and Elijah Moore.

In a way, that was to be expected.

However, the Starling Effect has its most profound impact on one Syracuse player ― Chris Bell.

Bell, a 6-7 small forward and 3-point shooting threat, has a dramatic difference between the games that Starling missed and the eight that he played in.

Bell is averaging 14.0 points with Starling in the lineup. He’s also making 34% of his 3-point shots.

Take Starling off the floor, though, and Bell has struggled. He’s scoring just 6.1 points in the seven games that Starling was out. His 3-point shooting in those games was 2-for-19 (10.5%).

Other factors might have been involved in Bell’s decreased productivity when Starling was hurt, however the numbers suggest a direct line between the two.

Starling, SU’s leading scorer at 19.0 points per game, attracts defensive attention. Bell is able to play off Starling and find open shots. In the two games since Starling’s return, Bell has scored 18 points in the loss to Florida State and 13 in Tuesday’s win over Georgia Tech.

Syracuse (7-8, 1-3 ACC) will need the Starling Effect on Saturday as it travels to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, to take on Boston College (9-6, 1-3).

Syracuse and Boston College will tip-off at 3 p.m. The game will be televised on The CW Network.

Here are four more key things to know about the matchup:

Mike’s Pastry

So what does a famous Italian pastry shop in Boston’s North End have to do with a basketball game?

Turnovers. Mike’s are delicious. The other kind? Well, they’ve left a bad taste in the mouths of SU coach Adrian Autry and his BC counterpart Earl Grant this season.

Syracuse’s recent turnover issues have been well-documented. The Orange has averaged 18.6 turnovers in its last five games, including 18 miscues in Tuesday’s win over Georgia Tech.

The turnover explosion has been confusing. In its first 10 games of the season, Syracuse’s highest turnover total was 13 in a loss at Notre Dame. Tennessee, one of the best defensive teams in the country, only forced SU into 11 turnovers.

Boston College has been just as careless with the ball. While Syracuse ranks 18th in the ACC in turnover margin, the Eagles are 16th. Boston College is committing an average of 12.2 turnovers per game for the season.

Freeman’s foot?

Syracuse Orange Basketball 2024-25: Syracuse vs Georgia Tech — Wearing a boot on his right foot, Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman stands with his teammates during the national anthem before Tuesday's game against Georgia Tech. Dennis Nett | [email protected]dennis nett | [email protected]

Syracuse freshman Donnie Freeman sat out the Orange’s win over Georgia Tech on Tuesday with what SU coach Adrian Autry described as a “lower-leg injury.’'

Freeman watched the game from the end of the Syracuse bench with his right foot in a walking boot.

How serious is the injury? Will Freeman be ready to play against BC on Saturday, or is he going to be sidelined for an undetermined length of time? There’s no definitive word on that. Autry said Freeman would be day-to-day.

Freeman, a 6-9 freshman, is averaging 13.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He ranks 22nd in the ACC in points and sixth in rebounds. But for a little more perspective, he ranks third among ACC freshmen in scoring, behind only Duke’s Cooper Flagg and North Carolina’s Ian Jackson, and second in rebounding (behind only Flagg).

Syracuse was able to beat Georgia Tech without Freeman, but the Orange will miss him.

BC’s second generation star

Syracuse fans might be familiar with the name Donald Hand, but do they remember Senior or know about the recent exploits of Junior?

Donald Hand Jr., a 6-foot-6 sophomore, is having a stellar season for Boston College. A native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Hand leads the Eagles in scoring (14.3 ppg) and rebounds (7.3). He ranks 17th in the ACC in points and 11th in rebounds.

His father, Donald Sr., played at Virginia from 1997 to 2001. He scored 1,486 points in his career at UVa and was a second-team All-ACC selection in 2000.

On Dec. 30, Hand was named the ACC’s Player of the Week. The Hands became the first father/son duo in ACC history to earn player of the week honors.

Three cheers or three tears?

They say three’s a party, but for the Syracuse Orange, the 3-point line has been a downer so far this season.

The Orange is on track to set an all-time low for 3-point percentage. Syracuse is shooting 28.9% from the 3-point line as a team. The lowest percentage in SU history was set in the 2014-15 when the Orange made only 30.1% of its 3-point shots.

Not being able to make 3s makes life very difficult in this age of teams relying heavily on the 3-pointer. It’s hard to keep up if the opponent is hitting 3s and you’re answering with twos.

Syracuse beat Georgia Tech on Tuesday despite going 4-for-20 on 3-pointers. That’s because the Yellow Jackets were no better, making four out of 21 3-point tries.

Good news for Syracuse: Although the Orange ranks last in the ACC in 3-pointers made per game (5.4), Boston College has the next-lowest number with 6.1 made 3s per game.

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