By: Evan O'Kelly, Director of Communications
MSUB SPORTS – The Yellowjacket men's basketball all-decade starting lineup features three guards, who each stood out in different ways and who covered the majority of the 10 years in the decade between them.
Each of the three starters was a premier scorer throughout his career at MSUB, with the Yellowjackets regularly appearing in the postseason during their tenures as well.
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 Starters
Marc Matthews – Team Captain, Player of the Decade
Position: Shooting Guard
Hometown: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Playing Years: 2012-2017 (5 seasons)
Feature Story: Matthews Leaves His Mark on MSUB Men's Basketball Program
The highest scoring player and the longest tenured player of the 2010s, Matthews was selected as the Player of the Decade. Five years after beginning his career as a redshirt during the 2012-13 season, Matthews finished No. 10 in the MSUB record books with 1,280 points – the most of anyone who played since Cameron Munoz finished with 1,879 from 2002-06.
Matthews increased his scoring average in each of his four seasons, to the tune of 14.6 points per game as a senior in 2016-17 and holding a career average of 11.6 points per game. His 440 career made field goals are 11th most in school history, and his 222 made 3-pointers are tied for seventh most in school history.
Matthews played in 110 games and started 70 in his four seasons, averaging 26.8 minutes per game and shooting 40.9 percent overall, 37.4 percent from long range, and 77.7 percent from the foul line. One of the signature moments of his career came on Jan. 12, 2017, when he sank a last-second 3-pointer to give MSUB a 69-68 comeback win over Alaska Anchorage during his senior season.
During the week of Dec. 26-Jan. 1 of his senior season, Matthews erupted for 48 points and led the Yellowjackets to a pair of conference victories. That not only earned MSUB the GNAC Team of the Week honor, but Matthews was selected as the United Stats Basketball Writers Association National Player of the Week as well.
Matthews was a two-time honorable mention all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference selection, a two-time GNAC Player of the Week, and he won Buzzie awards for Moment of the Year and Men's Basketball Player of the Year during his senior season.
Matthews on his MSUB career: "Definitely how close we became as a team in a short period of time is what stood out to me. I was able to make a lot of close friends while being there."
Jamie Stevens (Matthews' Head Coach 2012-2017): "Anybody that can score over 1,000 points in a career is special. Marc had a long, sustained career because he was able to play right away because of his talent level. His season-ending injury as a freshman really hurt our team at a time when we were playing really well. I think that team could have made some noise in the GNAC tournament had Marc not been hurt."
Where is he now? Matthews is currently at home in Arizona, and has enjoyed a professional career overseas. In 2018 he played for the Smithton Saints in Tasmania, Australia, and in 2019 he competed for the Lanzarote Conejeros in Arrecife, Spain.
Tyler Green
Position: Shooting Guard
Hometown: Redding, California
Playing Years: 2017-20 (3 seasons)
Feature Story: Shooter's Touch: MSUB Senior Tyler Green Red Hot On Record-Tying Night (Greg Rachac/406mtsports.com - January 22, 2020)
Upon Matthews' departure from the program, Green slotted in as the next great scoring guard for the Yellowjackets. Over three seasons from 2017-20, Green averaged 14.7 points per game and became the second player in the decade to reach the 1,000-point plateau with 1,090 total in his career.
Green's specialty lay in the long ball, where he made the fifth-most 3-pointers in school history with 235 in his four seasons. His career mark of 39.8 percent from the arc ranks him No. 12 in school history, and his free-throw percentage of 82.4 is No. 9 in school history.
Green started 67 of the 74 games he played in for the 'Jackets, averaging 29.3 minutes per game to go along with 3.1 assists per game. He made an immediate impact as a sophomore in 2017-18 after transferring from Humboldt State University, as he averaged 12.5 points per game. A pair of broken arms that year derailed his promising freshman campaign, and if his scoring average was extrapolated over the games he missed he would have finished with around 150 more career points to rank in the top-15 in school history.
Like Matthews, Green also had a signature game-winning moment, his coming on Jan. 11, 2020 during his senior season. With MSUB trailing Central Washington 91-89 in overtime, Green nailed a trey from the wing as time expired to give the 'Jackets a one-point victory. In his very next game on Jan. 16, Green tied the GNAC single-game record by connecting on a dozen 3-pointers en route to scoring a career-high 38 points.
He earned second-team all-conference as a senior in 2019-20, was a three-time GNAC Player of the Week honoree, and was named MSUB's Comeback Player of the Year and Men's Basketball Player of the Year at the Buzzies in 2019.
Mick Durham (Green's Head Coach 2018-20): "Tyler had an outstanding three-year career. He was a very explosive offensive player with great range. He had an infectious charisma about him, and had a flair to his game."
Jamie Stevens (Green's Head Coach 2017-18): "Loved watching Tyler shoot the basketball, beautiful stroke. I really enjoyed coaching him. Unfortunately we lost him in his first year to not one but two broken arms."
Where is he now? Green recently announced he signed a professional contract with BC Tskhumapkhazeti in the Georgian Superleague.
Antoine Proctor
Position: Shooting Guard
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Playing Years: 2011-12 (1 season)
Feature Story: Students. Athletes. Change Agents (November 28, 2011)
The standout player on the Yellowjackets' GNAC Championship-winning and NCAA regional run, Proctor's lone season in the Navy and Gold was one of the best the program has ever seen. Proctor averaged 18.7 points per game in 2011-12, ranking him No. 2 in all of the GNAC.
Proctor failed to reach double figures in scoring just three times in the team's 30 games, while he reached 20 or more points 13 times and had four 30-point games. One of his top performances came in the GNAC semifinals, when he lifted MSUB into the championship game with 21 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in a win over Western Washington.
Proctor was selected as a first-team all-region award winner after leading the team to its lone NCAA regional appearance of the decade. He was also a first-team all-GNAC pick and earned GNAC Player of the Week honors during the campaign.
Proctor on what stood out during his career: "Things that stood out most were that we played together, we were a family on and off the court, we supported each other, and we continued to push each other in practice to be the best we can be."
Jamie Stevens (Proctor's Head Coach 2011-12): "We only got Antoine for a year, but what a special year that was. He was the most talented guard I coached during my time in Billings. The greatest compliment I can give him is that no other player I coached practiced harder than Antoine. His success on the court didn't happen by accident."
Where is he now? Proctor currently resides in Denver, and works for Douglas County human services.
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.
