Montgomery Accepting the Challenge for UK
To the non-Basketball Bennies among us, EJ Montgomery had a tough outing at Arkansas. His stat line – one point, two rebounds, three turnovers and five fouls – certainly suggested as much.
Tony Barbee, however, knew it wasn’t that simple. He knew the job Montgomery did slowing down Razorback Jimmy Whitt mere days after he had torched Vanderbilt for 30 points.
“You’re not going to get a lot of credit externally about how good you are defensively – it’s usually highlight, the offensive plays that get the credit – but EJ deserves a lot of credit in what happened in that Arkansas game in what he was able to do to 33,” Barbee said Monday.
On Tuesday night, even the uninitiated could tell Montgomery had played well. Montgomery had his best scoring night in a month and a half, posting 10 points to go with six rebounds, two blocks and a steal as No. 15/14 Kentucky (14-4, 4-1 SEC) downed Georgia (11-7, 1-4 SEC) at Rupp Arena, 89-79.
The season hasn’t always been easy for Montgomery, who missed three games in November with an ankle injury. Since then, he has been alongside Nick Richards during the junior’s breakout, forced to consider every day why it was his fellow big man emerging and not him.
That very thought is now driving him.
“I’m on EJ because, what do y’all think the number one thing with Nick that got him over the hump?” John Calipari said. “…He’s in shape. He put himself in great shape, so now he doesn’t surrender. It makes you a coward. You just surrender. He is in great shape. You know who is now doing extra conditioning? EJ.”
With the help of associate coach Kenny Payne, Montgomery has gone to work on the one thing Coach Cal believes is standing in the way of his sustained breakout.
“Every chance I can KP grabs me and we do some conditioning,” Montgomery said. “Just trying to get me in better shape so I can play my hardest the whole game.”
Tuesday was a positive step, as some of Montgomery’s best play came late. That included a pair of field goals as UK stretched its lead to double digits and, most notably, an emphatic block of Anthony Edwards at the basket when the star freshman had a full head of steam. Montgomery sustained a busted lip on the play, but that didn’t stop him.
“That was my main thing over summer,” Montgomery said, “was just to try to get stronger and come back and be an impact on the game.”
Montgomery was certainly that, as was Richards. Scoring in double figures for the seventh straight game, Richards had 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. When both Richards and Montgomery are clicking, there are few teams that can trot out a pair of bigs as imposing as UK’s.
“It’s great me and Nick are both playing well,” Montgomery said. “That’s when the team most blossoms. We just have to go out there and try to do that every game.”
Montgomery knows he needs to take an active approach to make that happen. That’s why it shouldn’t be long before he’s back in the Joe Craft Center gym waiting for Payne to blow the whistle on another sprint.
“I think I make a big difference,” Montgomery said. “I can go out there and guard and just get the buckets that’s needed and just try to help the team win.”
