From time to time the Cats Illustrated staff goes to the proverbial roundtable to discuss a pressing topic in the world of Kentucky sports.
Right now one of the biggest, arguably the biggest of all, is EJ Montgomery.
Will he return to Lexington? Will he remain in the draft? What would it mean for Kentucky if he stays or goes?
Jeff Drummond: I see three things that EJ Montgomery's return could mean for the Cats: (1) frontcourt depth would be solid, and missing out on a few big guys in this recruiting class won't be magnified; (2) the Cats would have another experienced guy to lean on. Cal's best teams have always had three or four older players, and even though Montgomery hasn't played a ton of minutes in his UK career, he'll understand what his coach is looking for and what going through the battles in the SEC will be like; (3) UK would have at least one potential rim protector in the rotation, possibly two if Nick Richards also returns. On the flip side, if Montgomery chooses to try his luck with the NBA Draft, I would expect Cal to play a smaller rotation with four perimeter guys around one in the post and possibly use more half- and full-court pressure to take advantage of that backcourt.
Warren Taylor: E.J. Montgomery's presence at the 4 spot is essential for Kentucky next season. With him the Cats have a versatile player who can defend on the perimeter and the paint. At times during the 2018-19 campaign he was the Cats energy guy, and could fill that role again in addition to hopefully providing more rebounding and scoring. Without Montgomery, Kentucky's depth in the front court is pencil-thin, which the Cats can counter by going small. We've seen how Cal's teams have struggled with limited anchors in the post and they would next season with only Nick Richards and Nate Sestina.
Travis Graf: Having EJ Montgomery back for the 2019-2020 season would be huge for the Kentucky program. Montgomery had some spurts last season where you could clearly see the upside. When the freshman got consistent playing time, he did a great job of hustling for rebounds outside of his area and was one of the Cats’ better rim protectors.
Montgomery was a typical freshman, even though he may have not met his or other people’s expectations as a top 15 recruit. His jump shot looked smooth, but it wasn’t consistent at all. The majority of the decisions on his offensive touches seemed rushed, as you could see the wheels spinning. This caused such a good looking jumper to be off the mark more times than not. If Montgomery comes back, he definitely increases Kentucky’s ceiling a bit, but he doesn’t absolutely move the needle. A lot of people have alluded to him possibly having the sophomore jump PJ Washington had, but I don’t think he has the alpha dog mentality that Washington has to make that happen. On the flip side, Kentucky is rail thin in the post if Montgomery decided to enter the draft. Kentucky would most likely have to go the re-class route to find another 4 man. I think Montgomery has potential that the NBA covets. He’s a pure stretch four and I don’t think we got to see his full package last season in Lexington. He’s a decent ball handler and would do well in an offense with great spacing. In my opinion, he will dominate the workout scene and move into an early-to-mid 2nd round draft choice if he was to make the jump.
David Sisk: I think it is important that E.J. Montgomery comes back next season. The biggest reason is that he is probably Kentucky's best big man. I don't think he is NBA ready yet, but he could have a significant impact on the 2019-20 college season.
John Calipari has defined what looks for in a modern day big man. He runs the floor, rebounds, protects the rim, and can switch onto any perimeter ball handler. Montgomery checks all of theses boxes. What he does need to do is become more efficient in the offensive game which includes pick and roll, pick and pop, and his back to the bucket game. If Calipari goes to a four out, it isn't the kiss of death if Montgomery leaves, but it would help. Not only could he be the best big, but it is also important that he comes back in regards to depth. Nick Richards would suddenly log a ton of minutes, and Nate Sestina would become a bigger option than maybe he ever imagined.
I honestly don't know what he will decide to do. I have indicated since day one that I thought he would come back. He has not registered in the top 100 players coming out and he still hasn't as of Sunday afternoon. That would be a no-brainer to me to come back. Tony Delk believes he will stay in. From reading his quotes, it appears they think he might sneak into the latter part of the second round. Perhaps he has an interest to get paid in the G-League or either overseas, but that is a dangerous game to me. Individuals don't always make the correct decisions. I think he has the tools to contribute in the NBA on down the road, and monetarily having the opportunity to be drafted in 2020 should go a long way.
