Prospect Spotlight: Tim Montgomery (2019)
Confidence is a huge part of a young players game, especially a dynamic point guard like Princess Anne’s Tim Montgomery. He came into his freshman season at PA with a lot of pressure on him, and he played so well…
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Continue ReadingConfidence is a huge part of a young players game, especially a dynamic point guard like Princess Anne’s Tim Montgomery. He came into his freshman season at PA with a lot of pressure on him, and he played so well that he started 22 regular season games for the Cavaliers. However, the constant pressure of being the star freshman while trying to fit in on a new team took it’s toll on the young guard.
“I think I lost a little bit of my confidence my freshman year,” Montgomery said. “I was the young guy on a veteran team, and a couple of players weren’t happy about it. They would call for the ball and look me away, even when I hit a game winner they wouldn’t celebrate with me. It was frustrating, I stopped playing my game.”
However, with a solid summer under his belt with Boo Williams and the ball firmly in his hands heading into his sophomore year, Montgomery says he has his confidence back, and that’s bad news for other guards in the Virginia Beach area.
“I’ve had a lot of people that have continued to tell me not to worry about things like that and just play my game. I’m back to scoring the rock like I used to, and I’m still passing and distributing efficiently,” Montgomery said.
The 5’10” point guard comes from a family of basketball players, and it shows with his feel and high IQ at a young age. He’s shifty off the bounce, has a quick first step and has really grown into his body making him an explosive finisher at the rim. He lives in the paint where he makes plays, something he learned from his brother Greg, a former standout and current assistant coach at Virginia Wesleyan.
“I’ve learned a lot from him,” Tim said about his older brother. “He tells me I can’t wait on others to score the rock when we need a bucket, that college coaches like a guard no one can stay in front of and gets others open. I saw him go from a skinny guard to a strong and muscular one, and I watched the way he got to the rack at will and practiced those moves to make them even better and put them into my game.”
Montgomery, who cracked the first 2019 rankings at #39, believes that his summer of growth and development is going to make him one of the breakout performers in Hampton Roads this season. With that being said, he’s still putting a lot of pressure on himself to get better, and won’t stop until he can call himself the best.
“I want to be the #1 player in Virginia and nationally ranked before it’s all said and done. Right now, I’m focused on getting my killer instinct back, and it’s coming. I’m a crafty and bouncy guard that can score it and distribute, and I’m working on my three ball but I’ve got the midrange down pat.”
His understanding of his game and production at a young age bolds well for him as he continues to develop his body. He has a chance to show that he can be the go-to guy, and don’t be surprised to see him take full advantage of that opportunity this season.