Brisbane Bullets add former Indiana Pacer Orlando Johnson
November 16, 2020
Markel Starks
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 21/02/91
- Place of Birth: Accokeek, Maryland (USA)
- Position: PG
- Height (CM): 188
- Weight (KG): 79
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Georgetown (2010–2014)
- NBL DEBUT: 8/10/15
- AGE AT DEBUT: 24
- LAST NBL GAME: 13/04/17
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 26
- NBL History: Cairns 2016
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Markel Starks was born in Accokeek, Maryland (USA) and attended Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, Maryland where he played for coach Dwayne Bryant. As a freshman in 2006/07, he averaged 10 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds per game as he led Prep to a 15-10 record, the IAC Tournament Championship and he was named the conference Freshman of the Year.
As a sophomore in 2007/08, he averaged 15 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds per game as he led Prep to a 18-7 record, and the IAC Tournament Championship for the second straight year. He subsequently earned All-IAC and first-team All-Montgomery County honours.
On September 25, 2008, Starks committed to nearby Georgetown University.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Markel Starks made his NBL debut with the Cairns Taipans at 24 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.
Markel Starks played one season in the NBL. He averaged 12.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 26 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 25 | Cairns | 12-16 (6) | 26 | 638.5 | 324 | 56 | 61 | 15 | 41 | 10 | 0 | 36 | 49 | 135 | 299 | 45% | 17 | 76 | 22% | 37 | 44 | 84% | 51% | 48% | 33 | Totals | 26 | 639 | 324 | 56 | 61 | 15 | 41 | 10 | 0 | 36 | 49 | 135 | 299 | 45.2% | 17 | 76 | 22.4% | 37 | 44 | 84.1% | 51% | 48% | 33 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 25 | Cairns | 12-16 (6) | 26 | 24.6 | 12.5 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 5.2 | 11.5 | 45% | 0.7 | 2.9 | 22% | 1.4 | 1.7 | 84% | 51% | 48% | 33 | Total | 26 | 24.6 | 12.5 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 5.2 | 11.5 | 45.2% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 22.4% | 0.7 | 2.9 | 84.1% | 51% | 48% | 33 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 33 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
|---|
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Italy - FMC Ferentino (2014–2015), Vanoli Cremona (2016) | Germany - Fraport Skyliners (2016–2017) | Greece - Koroivos Amaliadas (2016–2017), Panionios (2025–2026) | Turkey - Yalova Group Belediye Spor (2017–2018), Fenerbahçe Beko (2022), Darüşşafaka (2022–2023), Socar Petkimspor (2023–2024), ONVO Büyükçekmece (2024–2025), Manisa Basket (2026) | Poland - Zastal Zielona Góra (2018–2019) | Russia - Avtodor Saratov (2019–2021) | Bosnia and Herzegovina - Igokea (2021–2022) | Andorra - MoraBanc Andorra (2023–2024)
Starks began his overseas professional career by signing with FMC Ferentino in Italy’s Serie A2 on July 30, 2014, and he averaged 14.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 34 games during the 2014–15 season.
He returned to Italy during the 2015–16 season, signing with Vanoli Cremona on February 25, 2016, and he appeared in 13 games in Lega Basket Serie A with averages of 8.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25.4 minutes per game.
On September 9, 2016, he joined the Fraport Skyliners in Germany after a four-week tryout, signing through the end of the Basketball Bundesliga season with an option for 2017–18, and he went on to appear in four league games as well as the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.
Later in 2016–17, he played in Greece with Koroivos Amaliadas in the Greek Basket League, suiting up for 14 games and producing 13.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
He then moved to Turkey’s Turkish Basketball First League with Yalova Group Belediye Spor, and in 30 games in 2017–18 he averaged 22.2 points and 7.3 assists per game while leading the league in assists, including a season-high 40 points against Afyonkarahisar Belediye and a 16-assist performance against Istanbul Technical University.
In 2018–19, Starks played in Poland with Zastal Zielona Góra, averaging 13.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game across 36 league appearances, while also contributing in the VTB United League at 11.5 points and 4.8 assists per game over 24 games that same season.
He signed with Avtodor Saratov in August 2019 and re-signed in June 2020, and across two seasons in the VTB United League he posted 14.4 points and 5.9 assists per game in 2019–20, followed by 11.3 points and 3.8 assists per game in 2020–21.
Starks joined Igokea in June 2021 and delivered 10.2 points and 5.6 assists per game in 14 ABA League games, and 12.7 points with 6.8 assists per game across nine Basketball Champions League games, including a game-MVP performance against SC Derby (20 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds) and a Round 8 outing featuring four steals.
That form earned him a move to Fenerbahçe Beko in late January 2022, where he appeared in three EuroLeague games during the short stint.
For 2022–23, he signed with Darüşşafaka and averaged 12.2 points and 3.9 assists per game in 28 contests in Turkey’s Turkish Basketball Super League, alongside 10.9 points and 4.5 assists per game in 15 Basketball Champions League games.
In July 2023, Starks joined MoraBanc Andorra in Spain’s Liga ACB, and he later logged a documented 17-point, five-assist performance against Monbus Obradoiro during the 2023–24 season.
He moved back to Turkey in late December 2023 with Socar Petkimspor, producing 11.3 points and 3.9 assists per game across 15 Turkish Super League appearances in 2023–24.
Ahead of 2024–25, Starks signed with ONVO Büyükçekmece, and he averaged 14.2 points and 5.7 assists per game in 28 Turkish Super League games.
In June 2025, Panionios announced his signing, and in 2025–26 he produced 9.5 points and 5.2 assists per game in the Greek league while also playing in the EuroCup, before switching to Manisa Basket in late January 2026.
COLLEGE
As a junior at Georgetown Prep in 2008–09, Markel Starks averaged 22 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds per game as he earned first-team All-Met, All-Montgomery County and All-IAC honours.
As a senior in 2009–10, he averaged 25 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds per game as he led Prep to a 18–7 record, then earned first-team All-Met honours, was named to the All-Decade Team in Montgomery County (Md.), and was named both the county Player of the Year and the IAC Player of the Year.
Starks played four NCAA seasons at Georgetown Hoyas from 2010–11 to 2013–14, appearing in 126 games and making 89 starts while finishing his college career with 1,246 points, 300 assists, 201 rebounds, 165 made three-pointers, and 205 made free throws.
He began his career as a freshman in 2010–11, playing 30 games off the bench and averaging 1.5 points per game, with his early season highs including two separate six-point games against Syracuse and a career-high 27 minutes played in the conference tournament against Connecticut.
Starks moved into a major role as a sophomore in 2011–12, starting 25 of 31 games and averaging 7.1 points and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field, and he produced a then career-high 20 points at Louisville while going 4-for-4 from three.
His breakout came as a junior in 2012–13, when he started 31 of 32 games and averaged 12.8 points, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game while hitting 41.7 percent from three, earning third-team All-Big East Conference recognition and later being named to the 2013 Big East Championship All-Tournament Team.
That 2012–13 season also included Georgetown’s NCAA tournament loss to Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, where Starks scored 23 points in the 15-over-2 upset that ended the Hoyas’ run in the Round of 64.
As a senior in 2013–14, Starks played 33 games and started every one, increasing his production to 17.3 points and 4.1 assists per game while posting a career-best 87.0 percent at the free-throw line, and he opened Big East play that year with a 21-point performance against DePaul.
His senior season honours included First Team All-Big East in a vote of league coaches and Second Team All-District 5 from the National Association of Basketball Coaches, giving him two major postseason awards as he closed out his Georgetown career.
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