Tee Tee Starks and Kat Wright head west to Arizona
By Mike Peden
Transfer buzz in the NCAA shows no sign of fading, evidenced by a pair of moves on Wednesday.
In this case, the pair of transfers are both heading to Arizona. The school announced the arrival of Tee Tee Starks and Kat Wright, giving the Wildcats some future assets after losing their top three scorers last season to graduation. Starks will have to sit out next season, but Wright will be eligible to play.
Wright comes to Arizona after spending most of her college career at Florida Atlantic. She took a medical redshirt for the 2016-17 season, but when she’s healthy, she becomes a weapon on the perimeter. In her junior season at Florida Atlantic, Wright hit 40.1 percent of her three-point attempts, an 11 percent increase from the year before. She tallied 87 triples, including 11 in a game against Charlotte, good for the second highest single-game total in NCAA history.
“Kat is a very accomplished player who is a fierce competitor with a high basketball IQ. She is a player that we can use in many different ways and she will also stretch the floor for us,” Arizona head coach Adia Barnes said in a statement published by Arizona.
Based on her stats from her junior year, Wright usually sets up behind the arc. Jumping from a Conference USA school to the Pac-12 means tougher competition awaits, but Wright is eager to make an impression.
“I’m so excited to spend my last year playing for the University of Arizona, competing in one of the top conferences and playing for a phenomenal coaching staff,” Wright said.
Starks began her college career at Iowa State, and will have three years of eligibility with Arizona. This past season, she appeared in all 31 games for the Cyclones, but struggled offensively. Making just 35.6 percent of her shots, Starks scored a mere 2.5 points per game. However, the 5’9″ guard can be effective on the boards. As a redshirt freshman, Starks averaged 4.2 rebounds per game.
“Although she won’t be able to play right away, she will still be very valuable to the team for our championship culture. She is tough, smart and does so many things well to help her team win,” Barnes said.
Although Starks and Wright won’t be able to play alongside each other, Arizona is hoping both athletes can sharpen the team’s aim after a 14-16 record last season.