If Wheeler High blue-chipper EJ Montgomery thought he could get a break from recruitment during his time at the boys McDonald’s All-American Game, he was sorely mistaken.
Montgomery, one of three players among the 24 All-Americans who is undecided on a college, has been getting nonstop pitches from his fellow participants, who will take the court Wednesday night at Philips Arena (7 p.m., ESPN2). Whether on the practice court, at meals or elsewhere, players signed with Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina are in his ear.
“It’s like, You can get these passes at Duke, Kentucky, that kind of stuff,” said Montgomery, the fifth Wheeler player to be selected in the 41-year history of the game.
“EJ – Come to Duke and we can be the new Fab Five,” said guard Zion Williamson of Spartanburg, S.C., modeling his pitch to Montgomery.
Williamson is particularly taken with Michigan’s Fab Five, which went to back-to-back national title games in 1992 and 1993 as freshmen and sophomores. He saw the ESPN documentary on the famed quintet and was eager to take a picture Monday night with Fab Five member Jimmy King, himself a former McDonald’s All-American who participated in a skills competition at Morehouse College. Duke has four signees and is looking for a fifth.
“Yes, they all talk about that,” Montgomery said.
(Williamson shared a story from his recruitment too good not to repeat. He said that Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told him that he was recruiting him and guards R.J. Barrett, Tre Jones and Cameron Reddish, and that if all four signed with Duke, Krzyzewski would let them pick the fifth member of the class. “I’m so serious,” Williamson said. All four signed, and all are McDonald’s All-Americans.)
Kentucky has two signees at the game.
“Whenever Kentucky guys come around, we’re like, Duke’s the place for you – the new Fab Five,” Williamson said.
North Carolina also has two signees, including forward Nassir Little from Orange Park, Fla. Little has talking points for Montgomery furnished by Tar Heels assistant coach Steve Robinson.
“I tell (Montgomery) that UNC, their (power forwards) get the ball a lot,” Little said. “Luke Maye, he’s getting like 15, 20 shots a game. If EJ really wants to be in a place where he can dominate and get the ball and really be a force, I’d say UNC’s where he should go.”
Montgomery, who said he’s also considering Georgia with new coach Tom Crean, said he recognized that most of the banter is in fun, but acknowledged, too, that having a relationship with new teammates is important.
“It’s a big influence, being close with the guys you’re going to school with,” he said.
Little said he’ll send back a report to North Carolina after the event.
Said Little of Montgomery, “He’s kind of hard to read.”
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