Skip to main content

The Big Blue Nation's Last On-Court E.J. Montgomery Memory was Unforgettable

by:Nick Roush04/15/20

@RoushKSR

[caption id="attachment_294811" align="alignnone" width="1820"] Kim Klement | USA Today Sports[/caption] E.J. Montgomery's best moment as a Wildcat provided the happiest ending possible for a season that ended prematurely. After beginning the year with an upset of No. 1 Michigan State at Madison Square Garden, Mr. Hyde showed his ugly face when Kentucky stumbled against Evansville and Utah. Despite the significant setbacks, the Wildcats came together during SEC play, winning 12 of 13 games entering the final week of the season. In the first half against Tennessee, Kentucky appeared destined to go on a National Championship run. In the second half at Rupp Arena they looked like a team that could not escape the first weekend of the tournament, surrendering a 17-point lead to lose to the Vols. Ashton Hagans' antics on the sidelines made many believe the team was unraveling at the seams just before postseason play. That negative momentum rolled right into Gainesville as UK took the court against Florida without Hagans. It was a first half most would rather forget, much like that first loss of the season to Evansville. In the second half Kentucky once again looked like a team that could play basketball on the final weekend of the season. Trailing by as many as 18 points in the second half, Nick Richards led a spectacular rally, scoring 17 of his 19 points in the final 20 minutes. The Cats chiseled away at the Florida lead, closing the gap to one with Keion Brooks' floater inside a minute to play. After a shot clock violation by the Gators, Calipari went back to Brooks. The freshman could not finish the move, but Montgomery was there to clean it up. https://twitter.com/CBSSportsCBB/status/1236382728045637632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1236382728045637632&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F247sports.com%2FArticle%2FKentucky-Wildcats-Basketball-tip-in-EJ-Montgomery-118-seconds-remaining-completes-18-point-comeback-win-Florida-Gators-144714745%2F Few teams can say they ended their season on a win. The 2020 Wildcats can thanks to Montgomery's timely tip-in. In his second season as a Wildcat the former McDonald's All-American started in 25 of 28 games, averaging 6.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just over 24 minutes of action per game. Aside from his memorable game-winning put-back that concluded Kentucky's season, he played big against Mississippi State, recording 12 points and 8 boards against All-SEC selection Reggie Perry. His only career double-double happened as a freshman, posting 11 points and 13 rebounds in a blowout win over South Carolina. Montgomery's best stretch was in November of 2019. The forward racked up 16 points and 8 rebounds against UAB before scoring a career-high 25 points and grabbing 9 rebounds against Fairleigh Dickinson. https://youtu.be/fYVN6WM8YEs Watch below for more of Montgomery's best moments from his final season as a Kentucky Wildcat. https://youtu.be/y-l9zRz7i3k  

Discuss This Article

Comments have moved.

Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.

KSBoard

2025-07-11