By Mason Nesbitt, Sports Information Director

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Moments after hearing his name over the loudspeaker, Kelvin Starr wound his way through a bevy of tables, each packed with some of the NAIA’s best basketball players.

No one was counting, but it took Starr a while to navigate from the outer reaches of a lounge inside Children’s Mercy Park up to the front stage so he could be honored for something he’d done in a relatively short amount of time.

In two seasons as head coach of The Master’s University, Starr has turned a struggling program into the No. 1 team in the nation entering Wednesday’s NAIA Division 1 Men’s Basketball National Championship tournament in Kansas City, Missouri.

Tuesday, he was tabbed the National Association of Basketball Coaches-NAIA Coach of the Year.

“I’m honored to receive the award,” Starr said after the welcome banquet held inside the home of Kansas City’s Major League Soccer franchise. “But it’s important to remember it really is a team award. The success of the program depends on contributions from everyone. Starting with our school President Dr. John MacArthur all the way through our players and support staff.”

The Mustangs have gone 29-2 this season. They’ve won the program’s first-ever regular-season Golden State Athletic Conference title and its second straight GSAC tournament title.

In mid-February, Master’s earned its first-ever NAIA No. 1 ranking in the midst of a 25-game winning streak. And while Starr credits his players, they are just as quick to turn the spotlight around.

“From the moment he recruited us, he believed in us, in what we could do,” said senior guard Lawrence Russell, the 2018 GSAC Player of the Year who transferred to Master’s in Starr’s first season. “He was never the type to take away your confidence. He’s going to let you play free, and I think that’s what ultimately makes him a great leader. He leads by example.”

Starr developed his leadership style both in ministry – he formerly served as executive pastor at a church in Lakeside, California – and on the hardwood.

Named head coach of Christian Heritage College (now San Diego Christian) in 2002, Starr led his teams to a record of 104-60 in five seasons, winning the school’s first-ever GSAC regular-season title in 2007. That accomplishment, among other things, attracted the attention of Master’s, which hadn’t made the NAIA tournament since 2000 before Starr’s arrival.

Now, Starr and TMU are focused on a second straight trip to the second round. The No. 1-seeded Mustangs open against No. 8-seed Peru State (Neb.). Tip-off is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. PST.

The first 30 games of the national championship will be video-streamed live at www.NAIANetwork.com. There is a fee. The championship final will air on ESPN3 for the fifth-straight season on March 20 at 7 p.m.