 Both players were awarded the Ray Borner MVP Medal for leading their clubs to clean sweeps in the NBL's annual pre-season tournament.Starks helped the Taipans finish the five-day tournament with a 3–0 win/loss record, and over those three games, Starks averaged 13.7 points per game.On October 31, Starks had a season-best game with 27 points and a buzzer beating game-winning three-pointer to lift the Taipans over the line against the Adelaide 36ers, winning the contest 104–101.