From DII to NAU: Stark, Lumberjacks ready to prove people wrong
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (BVM) 鈥� Following an outstanding prep career at 4A Marcos de Niza where he averaged 23.2 points per game and set the Arizona state record for most consecutive free throws made, Mason Stark didn鈥檛 garner the Division I attention that his play warranted.
鈥淢y senior year of high school, I didn鈥檛 have a ton of offers; I had like three Division II offers and that was it,鈥� Stark said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have the size, but what I always had was the ability to score and the ability to score efficiently.鈥�
Stark carried his knack for efficient scoring to the next level at DII Northern State University and went on to score 1,107 points in three seasons with the Wolves. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 16.8 points and 4.8 rebounds during the 2020-21 season and shot a blistering 52% from 3-point range for his career at Northern State.
A first team All-Conference Northern Sun selection, Stark led the Wolves to their fourth consecutive NSIC tournament title while scoring a team-high 24 points in the conference championship game and earning Tournament MVP honors in the process.
After proving himself as an elite scoring threat at the DII level, the under-recruited, undersized guard has finally earned his opportunity to contribute for a Division I program. Stark announced his transfer to Northern Arizona University on April 3, and the Chandler, AZ native gets to return to his home state with two seasons of eligibility remaining.
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鈥淚 wanted to go somewhere I could make the biggest impact and for me, NAU fit that,鈥� Stark said. 鈥淏ut also, I wanted to be surrounded by good guys and a good culture. I鈥檓 at the point in my life where being surrounded by good people is really important to me and then it鈥檚 just somewhere I feel like I can make an impact as well.鈥�
Stark鈥檚 addition to NAU comes at a good time as both of the Lumberjacks鈥� leading scorers from this past season have transferred elsewhere. Cameron Shelton, who led NAU in scoring at 19.2 points per game and was an All-Big Sky first team guard, has committed to Loyola Marymount while Luke Avdalovic is headed to Pacific after shooting 44% from 3-point range (team-high) for the Lumberjacks in 2020-21.
鈥淗is (Stark) shot-making ability is off the charts and I think he鈥檚 somebody who comes here from the state of Arizona with a chip on his shoulder,鈥� NAU head coach Shane Burcar said. 鈥淎nother reason he fits in for us is that he鈥檚 had success at Northern State, a great program and everyone is aware of that, so we want to bring winners into our program that want to be here.鈥�
Stark won鈥檛 be the only new face arriving in Flagstaff soon as NAU has been busy recruiting from the NCAA Transfer Portal. Just days after Stark鈥檚 commitment, Florida Gulf Coast graduate transfer Justus Rainwater announced he鈥檒l also be joining the Lumberjacks for his final year of eligibility. The 6-foot-8 freakishly-athletic forward averaged just 2.2 points in limited minutes last season, but once went during pregame warmups.
The story of the offseason in Flagstaff, however, has been the transfer of Jalen Cone to NAU from Virginia Tech. The sophomore guard averaged 9.2 points per game for the Hokies this past season and chose the Lumberjacks over Power 5 schools such as Oklahoma State, Indiana, Penn State and others after entering the transfer portal.
A backcourt featuring Stark and Cone will be something special to watch.
鈥淔or him (Cone) to be at a high-major then decide to go to NAU is crazy and it鈥檚 awesome because for me, I鈥檝e been a part of a winning program the last four years and the biggest thing for me is winning,鈥� Stark said. 鈥淲ith these new pieces we have, especially with Jalen, we could have a really good season next year and prove a lot of people wrong because a lot of people are going to sleep on us.鈥�
Proving people wrong is something Stark is accustomed to from his initial recruiting experience, and he now joins a program in NAU looking to do the same thing in the midst of a 20-plus-year drought from the NCAA Tournament.
鈥淭o be able to prove people wrong has always been something that I鈥檓 interested in, just going to that next level and showing that I鈥檓 capable of playing at the DI level,鈥� Stark said.
