On Friday (Apr. 24), Grand Valley State head men's basketball coach announced the addition of Juwan Starks to the Laker basketball program. Starks, a junior college transfer, will be eligible to play for GVSU in the upcoming 2015-16 season.
 
A 6'5" wing player, Starks spent the last two seasons at Kishwaukee College in Malta, Ill. and excelled at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II level. Starks averaged a team-best 18.4 points per game for the Kougars, who finished the year with a 29-7 overall record and a berth in the NJCAA National Tournament.
 
Playing 30.3 minutes per game (and starting in 35 of the team's 36 contests this past season), Starks shot 47.3 percent from the field, but it was his marksmanship from beyond the arc that stood out for the sophomore. Starks made 105 three-pointers last season and did so in just 203 attempts for a terrific 51.7 three-point percentage. Both his made three-point total and percentage were third-best in all of NJCAA Division II.
 
"Juwan will be a very solid addition to our program," Wesley mentioned. "He is a veteran wing player with size who has great scoring prowess. His ability to shoot the three-pointer will help space the floor and make everyone on our team better. Juwan was a major reason Kishwaukee College made it to the NJCAA National Tournament."
 
He knocked down at least one three-pointer in 34 of 36 games, while averaging 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Starks was also a stellar defensive player, finishing fifth in the country with 85 steals, while recording 55 blocked shots.
 
Starks also made it the free throw line frequently, going 106-for-149 at the charity stripe for a 71.1 percentage. In 36 games last season, he never scored less than eight points in a game, tallied 16 games of at least 20 points, and eclipsed the 30-point plateau in four contests.
 
At the conclusion of the season - which included a 31-point outing against #1 Schoolcraft in his final game at Kishwaukee - Starks earned several awards. He was named First Team All-Arrowhead Conference, First Team All-Region IV, the First Team All-Region Tournament Most Valuable Player, and a spot on the NJCAA All-Tournament Team.
 
Starks helped lead Kishwaukee to the regional championship and the conference title during his two seasons with the Kougars.
 
Originally from Aurora, Ill., Starks is West Aurora High School's all-time leading scorer (1,627 points), a former two-time All-State First Team selection, and the DuPage Valley Conference co-Most Valuable Player in 2011-12.
 
The fifth member of the incoming GVSU recruiting class, Starks joins guards Zach West (Oswego, Ill.) and Deshawn Lewis (Sterling Heights) and post players Justin Greason (Shelby Township) and John Rexroth (Farmington Hills) as the newest Lakers.