From DII to NAU: Stark, Lumberjacks ready to prove people wrong
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (BVM) – 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’t garner the Division I attention that his play warranted.
“My senior year of high school, I didn’t have a ton of offers; I had like three Division II offers and that was it,” Stark said. “I didn’t have the size, but what I always had was the ability to score and the ability to score efficiently.”
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.
Excited for this new journey. Thank you Lord 🙏🏻 🌳 🪓 #GoLumberjacks @NAUBasketball @NAUCoachBurcar pic.twitter.com/0tYaO7A1MV
— Mason Stark (@masonstark223) April 3, 2021
“I wanted to go somewhere I could make the biggest impact and for me, NAU fit that,” Stark said. “But also, I wanted to be surrounded by good guys and a good culture. I’m at the point in my life where being surrounded by good people is really important to me and then it’s just somewhere I feel like I can make an impact as well.”
Stark’s addition to NAU comes at a good time as both of the Lumberjacks’ 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.
“His (Stark) shot-making ability is off the charts and I think he’s somebody who comes here from the state of Arizona with a chip on his shoulder,” NAU head coach Shane Burcar said. “Another reason he fits in for us is that he’s 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.”
Stark won’t be the only new face arriving in Flagstaff soon as NAU has been busy recruiting from the NCAA Transfer Portal. Just days after Stark’s commitment, Florida Gulf Coast graduate transfer Justus Rainwater announced he’ll 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 viral for snapping the rim off a hoop 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.
“For him (Cone) to be at a high-major then decide to go to NAU is crazy and it’s awesome because for me, I’ve been a part of a winning program the last four years and the biggest thing for me is winning,” Stark said. “With 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.”
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.
“To be able to prove people wrong has always been something that I’m interested in, just going to that next level and showing that I’m capable of playing at the DI level,” Stark said.
