By: Evan O'Kelly, Director of Communications
MSUB SPORTS – The men's basketball all-decade bench features three forwards, and two more earned honorable mention.
Four of the five players featured on the list of reserves had two-year careers as Yellowjackets, and it is a group heavily filled with players from the second half of the decade.
This Week's Schedule
| Day |
Release |
| Monday, October 5, 2020 |
Guards - Reserves & Honorable Mention |
| Tuesday, October 6, 2020 |
Forwards - Reserves & Honorable Mention |
| Wednesday, October 7, 2020 |
Guards - Starters |
| Thursday, October 8, 2020 |
Forwards - Starters |
| Friday, October 9, 2020 |
Full Team |
The Reserves
Zharon Richmond
Position: Forward
Hometown: Billings, Montana
Playing Years: 2017-Current (4 seasons)
Feature Story: New Faces: MSUB Men's Basketball Freshman Zharon Richmond
Richmond is one of two current Yellowjackets to make the 2010s all-decade team, as the hometown standout has enjoyed three solid seasons with one left to play. Through the first 80 games of his career, Richmond is averaging 12.1 points per game with a total of 968 points scored during the decade – the fourth-highest total among anyone to play in the 2010s.
Richmond is coming off his strongest offensive season yet, as he averaged 15.9 points and 7.2 rebounds during his junior campaign in 2019-20. He is a career 46.5 percent field goal shooter who has also been a threat from the arc at 37.2 percent and 92 total threes made in his career.
Richmond earned honorable mention all-conference after his strong junior campaign, and figures to be a key player for the Yellowjackets upon his senior season. He is already No. 2 in MSUB history with 94 career blocks, and needs just four more to become the program's all-time leader in that category.
Richmond on what has stood out about his MSUB teams: "Since I have been here for four years I have been a Yellowjacket longer than anyone else on the team. Being here for this long I have been able to meet so many people, and each team had a family-like relationship."
Mick Durham (Richmond's Head Coach 2018-Current): "Zharon has improved each year, and we are looking for big things from him in his senior season. He started out as a role guy in the program, and now is an all-conference player."
Jamie Stevens (Richmond's Head Coach 2017-18): "I loved coaching Z. I'm not sure he realized how good he was and is. He is another guy with a great feel for the game on both ends of the court."
Where is he now? Richmond is pursuing his bachelor's degree at MSUB, and has aspirations to continue his basketball career professionally upon the conclusion of his collegiate career.
Zack Rollins
Position: Forward
Hometown: Pelham, New York
Playing Years: 2017-2019 (2 seasons)
One of the most purely talented players of the decade, Rollins had an immediate impact on the program from the moment he stepped foot on the court as a junior. After transferring from San Bernardino Valley College, Rollins scored 893 points for an average of 14.9 over his two seasons while playing in 60 games and starting 57.
Rollins shot 41.7 percent overall and hit from a clip of 37.5 percent from long range, and in just two seasons his 163 made 3-pointers were 11th-most in school history. He also contributed an average of 5.0 rebounds per game and was an 84.1 percent shooter from the foul line.
Rollins earned honorable mention all-conference recognition in each of his two seasons, and also was the GNAC Player of the Week for Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 2018.
Rollins on his fondest MSUB memories: "My fondest memories at MSUB were being able to play alongside some great friends and teammates. I loved being able to travel to Hawaii, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Alaska."
Mick Durham (Rollins' Head Coach 2018-19): "He was obviously one of the most talented players that I coached with his athletic ability and ability to shoot the three. I wish I could have coached him another year. His senior year was my first year, and he really bought in. I thought he had an outstanding season for us leading us to the GNAC tourney."
Jamie Stevens (Rollins' Head Coach 2017-18): "We got Zack in the first week of September, and took him sight unseen. He fell into our lap and we got really lucky. Love the stroke – I can watch him shoot the basketball all day. He was an explosive athlete and just a really good person and teammate."
Where is he now? Rollins was drafted by the Agua Caliente Clippers, the G-League affiliates of the Los Angeles Clippers. Most recently, he enjoyed a professional stint in the Superleague in Georgia. He now resides in his hometown of Pelham, New York.
Robert Mayes
Position: Forward
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Playing Years: 2010-2012 (2 seasons)
Mayes was a standout in his two years with the 'Jackets, and he delivered his greatest performance when the team needed it most. Upon reaching the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships, Mayes averaged 18.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in three games to help the 'Jackets claim their first-ever conference title and a trip to the regionals.
Mayes was named the GNAC Championships Most Valuable Player, capping off a year in which he averaged 12.1 points and led the team with 7.4 rebounds per game. Overall in his two-year career Mayes averaged 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds, while shooting 50.4 percent from the floor in his 56 games.
Mayes continued his excellent play in the regional tournament, scoring a career-high 29 points in the team's defeat against Alaska Anchorage. He also earned a GNAC Player of the Week nomination in his career.
Jamie Stevens (Mayes' Head Coach 2011-12): "Robert put us on his shoulders and led us to the GNAC tournament in 2011. He just found ways to get to the basket and was an elite finisher around the rim."
Honorable Mention
Emmanuel Johnson
Position: Forward
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Playing Years: 2014-2016 (2 seasons)
Feature Story: For Emmanuel Johnson, 'Never Give Up' Are Words To Live By
Known to teammates and coaches alike as 'EJ', Johnson quickly played his way into the starting lineup after transferring to MSUB as a junior from Frank Phillips College. Johnson played in 54 games in his final two collegiate seasons, scoring 569 points for an average of 10.5 points per game. As a senior in 2015-16, Johnson averaged 12.5 points per game and tied for the team high with 24 games started.
Jamie Stevens (Johnson's Head Coach 2014-2016): "We only had EJ for two years, but no player we had during the time there improved more than him. The reason: He worked as hard as anybody we had during my time there – the guy lived in the gym. Coach (Brad) Schmit and him spent hours upon hours working on his game. It was always EJ asking for the extra time. It was no secret that his success happened because of his countless hours in the gym working on his craft."
Preston Beverly
Position: Forward
Hometown: Wildomar, California
Playing Years: 2015-2017 (2 seasons)
Feature Story: New Faces: MSUB Men's Basketball Freshman Preston Beverly
One of the team's key young players, Beverly took the league by storm and was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year in the 2015-16 season. Beverly scored 908 points for an average of 15.9 per game and added 7.6 rebounds per game in the first two years of his collegiate career, before transferring to Point Loma Nazarene University for his final two seasons.
About the MSUB All-Decade Team Project
The top student-athletes from each of Montana State University Billings' current varsity athletic teams from 2010-2019 have been selected, and 14 all-decade teams will be revealed throughout the course of the fall of 2020. Each sport's all-decade team is comprised of the top-performing student-athletes, with weight given to individual athletic achievement and accolades, team achievement, academic achievement, as well as community service. For more information on MSUB's all-decade project, and to view each sport's all-decade teams, view the all-decade project webpage online here.
