Big West Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade ('13-23)

Big West Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

By Joey Loose | Jul 15, 2023

Mar 14, 2019; Anaheim, CA, USA;Cal State Northridge Matadors forward Lamine Diane (35) lets out a yell after scoring past UC Santa Barbara Gauchos forward Amadou Sow (12) and guard Ar'Mond Davis (1) during the first half of the quarterfinals of the Big West conference tournament at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /

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Big West Basketball California Golden Bears forward Kuany Kuany (13) blocks the shot of Cal State Northridge Matadors guard TJ Starks Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /

15. TJ Starks

Starks is a 6’2 guard from Dallas who had an unconventional journey to the Big West. He began his college playing career back in 2017 at Texas A&M and started 33 games over his first two years for the Aggies, with pretty solid production in the SEC. He was then suspended and forced to sit out his junior season after being arrested for marijuana, deciding to transfer to Cal State Northridge in the process.

Starks had a major bounce back in his senior season, helping the Matadors replace a lot of outgoing talent from the year prior. He averaged 21.7 points per game, made 37% of his 3-point attempts, and was a decent piece all over the court. He only played 20 games at Cal State Northridge but he made them count, including a 31-point game against Hawaii, and was the best offensive player for the Matadors.

Named First Team All-Big West, Starks was the top scorer in the league and really made an impression in his short time with the Matadors. He was a high-octane weapon in the SEC and it’s clear that Cal State Northridge relished having someone of his talent in their program. Again, it was just one season and the Matadors went just 9-13, but Starks proved his value.