April 19, 2013

sports@standard-democrat.com MCKINNON, Aus. -- One of the best basketball players to ever come from southeast Missouri continues to shine overseas. Marcus Timmons, the former Scott County Central Braves basketball star, was recently honored for playing in his 150th Big V game with the McKinnon Basketball Association in Australia...

Marcus Timmons
Marcus Timmons

sports@standard-democrat.com

MCKINNON, Aus. -- One of the best basketball players to ever come from southeast Missouri continues to shine overseas.

Marcus Timmons, the former Scott County Central Braves basketball star, was recently honored for playing in his 150th Big V game with the McKinnon Basketball Association in Australia.

The Big V is the senior basketball league in Victoria, Australia made up of 102 semi-professional teams in 10 competitions. Timmons has played for McKinnon the last four years and first started playing in the Big V in 2002. He holds a Big V career average of 19 points and 10 rebounds.

"Managing to play week in week out and surviving," the 41-year old Timmons said when referring to the highlight of playing in his last 150 games. "Definitely will be playing my 200th - hopefully a 250th as well."

He began his Big V career with the Sandringham Sabres and played there for three seasons. He averaged a double-double in each of the three seasons and was a championship player with the Sabres in 2005.

Over the years, Timmons has been referred to as the "Michael Jordan of Australian basketball."

He began his notable career in 1996 in the National Basketball League (NBL) where he played for six different teams.

He won championships with the Melbourne Tigers (1997) and the Perth Wildcats in 2000 where he was named the Grand Finals MVP.

"Playing over there was different," Timmons said in an interview in January of last year. "Basketball was huge when I first came over in 1996. There were a lot of guys like me, some ex-NBA players and just a lot of talent."

During his time at Scott Central, Timmons became the only boys basketball player in the history of Missouri to start on four state championship teams. He was Mr. Basketball for the state of Missouri in 1991 and was a first team all-state selection for three years.

He finished his high school career with a 130-3 record leading the Braves to two undefeated seasons.

Through 133 games, Timmons scored 2,514 points, grabbed 1,437 rebounds, had 398 steals and 425 assists.

After making history with Scott Central, Timmons went on to Southern Illinois University where he was the Freshman of the Year in 1992 and the 1995 Defensive Player of the Year in the Missouri Valley Conference. In 125 games during 1992-95, Timmons scored a career 1,434 points which places him 13th all-time in school history.

He also finished fourth all-time with 999 rebounds and 123 blocks. Timmons played in three NCAA March Madness games with the Salukis as well.

For further information and a highlight video on Timmons' Big V career, go to www.sportingpulse.com.

The McKinnon Basketball Association contributed to this story.

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