By: Evan O'Kelly, Director of Communications
MSUB SPORTS – The men's basketball all-decade starting lineup features a pair of forwards who each had notable performances during the 2010s.
The two starters each represent a different end of the decade, covering the early years as well as the two most recent Yellowjacket seasons.
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
Brendan Howard
Position: Forward
Hometown: Great Falls, Montana
Playing Years: 2018-Current (2 seasons)
Feature Story: Brotherly Love: Siblings Brendan And Bobby Howard A Dynamic Tandem At MSUB (Greg Rachac/406MTSports - February 4, 2020)
One of just three players to reach 1,000 points in the decade, Howard needed just two seasons to reach that plateau. The junior-to-be has already scored 1,023 points in his two seasons, and his career scoring average of 17.9 points per game is No. 10 in school history.
Howard is coming off a stellar sophomore season, in which he ranked second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in scoring at 20.3 points per game, and sixth in rebounding with 7.1 boards per game. That earned him second-team all-GNAC honors, and he was picked as the MSUB Men's Basketball Player of the Year at the Buzzies.
Howard started his career off with a bang in 2018-19, earning GNAC Freshman of the Year and honorable mention all-league in his first year on the court. Howard holds a career field-goal percentage of 51.8, and has played in 57 games through his first two seasons.
Howard on his team: "The thing that has stood out most about the teams I have been on so far is that we always compete."
Mick Durham (Howard's Head Coach 2018-Current): "Brendan has had two really solid years so far and we are excited he has two more to go. He just has a scoring mentality. He puts a lot of pressure on the defense with his ability to score, and especially now with this ability to shoot from three."
Where is he now? Howard's next year on the court will be his junior season, and he has ambitions to continue his basketball career professionally upon completing his business undergraduate degree.
Jarrell Crayton
Position: Forward
Hometown: Bellevue, Nebraska
Playing Years: 2012-2013 (1 season)
Feature Story: MSUB's Jarrell Crayton Puts Frustrating Year At Boise State Behind Him (Joe Kusek/Billings Gazette - February 13, 2013)
The Yellowjackets only had Crayton for one season, as he transferred from Boise State University in time for his senior year at MSUB. The talented forward led the Yellowjackets back to the conference tournament, ranking third in the league in scoring with 16.3 points per game and fifth in the league in rebounding with 7.2 boards per game.
He was the only Yellowjacket to start all 30 games in 2012-13, averaging 28.2 minutes and standing as a constant force under the basket. Known for his thunderous dunks and infectious personality, Crayton shot 56.7 percent from the field that season and ranked third in the conference with 203 made field goals.
Crayton followed fellow all-decade selection Antoine Proctor and became one of just three first-team all-conference selections for the Yellowjackets during the decade. He was also a GNAC Player of the Week selection, and was named the MSUB Men's Basketball Player of the Year.
Jamie Stevens (Crayton's Head Coach 2012-13): "I never coached a better athlete than Jarrell. Some of his in-game dunks were the kind of plays you see on TV and in the NBA. What an awesome, positive attitude he brought to the gym every day."
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.
