NBA Draft 2020: 5 under-the-radar returning players

E.J. Montgomery, Sophomore PF/C, Kentucky

Talk of Kentucky draft prospects always focuses on the incoming one-and-dones, as has happened this year with the entrance of Tyrese Maxey and Khalil Whitney to the fold. But with the departure of grad transfer Reid Travis and 2019 lottery pick P.J. Washington, the Wildcats have freed up space for sophomore E.J. Montgomery to show why he was a top-15 recruit in 2018. A traditional big by any measure, Montgomery struggled to shine as a supporting player in a timeshare with Nick Richards. But he did display a few very promising skills – namely finishing (82.7 percent at the rim) and offensive rebounding (14.1 percent offensive rebound rate).

Suddenly able to take some real time at the 4, Montgomery’s opportunity to explore the true depth of his impact on offense could mimic Washington’s last year. While he scored primarily on dump-offs and pick-and-rolls last year, Montgomery does show some finesse against contact at the rim that could translate to some interesting skill once he actually starts getting post touches. Defensively, he’s never going to be a quality defensive anchor, but he can at least be a serviceable energy big, and his size and timing will provide at least a mild deterrent at the NBA level.

For Montgomery to prove he’s a real NBA prospect, he’s going to have to show growth in what will almost certainly be more responsibility as a sophomore. He’s shown two-way skills that are useful, but those skills might be too limited to truly matter. Having more diversity to his offensive skill set would help make him more playable, simple as that. For Montgomery, it’s not about proving strengths – it’s about hitting certain thresholds in his weaknesses, particularly outside shooting and passing, that will take him from fringe prospect to legitimate first-round talent.