Montgomery leaving

BGorDeath · Post by **BGorDeath** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:03 am

From all indications and buzz at the basketball banquet last night, Austin Montgomery is leaving the team. It also looks like Fitch is completely done, too.

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 9:02 am

Too bad about Montgomery. Of all the guys on the roster presently, I thought he had the best chance of stepping it up offensively.

We need to find some offense. Having Wright and Opie as the go to guys concerns me ....

BGorDeath · Post by **BGorDeath** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 9:08 am

I personally think that Mawel will do some nice scoring for us next year. He showed a nose for the ball this year. Plus, he did some nice things under the basket in the lane, too. I also believe that Vandermeer is going to be able to score for us, too. I'm not too terribly concerned because one of the incoming freshman may be able to help. My biggest concern is always leadership, after the Netter debacle. Looking at next year, I think Mawel is going to do a fine job in this category.

I am not too worried about BG hoops.

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 9:34 am

Well, it isn't that I thought he was going to be an all-star, but I really felt that Austin could contribute, and we can't afford to lose another guy. I don't think Soler will ever be a huge scorer. He did show flashes of it, but my impression was he really ran out of gas during the conference season--worse than most of the team did.

Somebody's going to need to step up. I was hoping we could piece together a respectable season next year, and then, if this class is as good as we thought, storm back the next season, but that's looking less likely (not impossible, just less likely).

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 10:37 am

orangeandbrown wrote:Well, it isn't that I thought he was going to be an all-star, but I really felt that Austin could contribute, and we can't afford to lose another guy. I don't think Soler will ever be a huge scorer. He did show flashes of it, but my impression was he really ran out of gas during the conference season--worse than most of the team did.

Somebody's going to need to step up. I was hoping we could piece together a respectable season next year, and then, if this class is as good as we thought, storm back the next season, but that's looking less likely (not impossible, just less likely).

Soler needs to stay out of foul trouble. I had a feeling from DD comments the past few weeks the Fitch would be done playing ball at BG. On a side note, I wont if DD is second guessing his decision to come back to BG after he quit as coach of the WV Mountaineers.

BGorDeath · Post by **BGorDeath** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:35 am

bgsufan1972 wrote:
orangeandbrown wrote:Well, it isn't that I thought he was going to be an all-star, but I really felt that Austin could contribute, and we can't afford to lose another guy. I don't think Soler will ever be a huge scorer. He did show flashes of it, but my impression was he really ran out of gas during the conference season--worse than most of the team did.

Somebody's going to need to step up. I was hoping we could piece together a respectable season next year, and then, if this class is as good as we thought, storm back the next season, but that's looking less likely (not impossible, just less likely).

Soler needs to stay out of foul trouble. I had a feeling from DD comments the past few weeks the Fitch would be done playing ball at BG. On a side note, I wont if DD is second guessing his decision to come back to BG after he quit as coach of the WV Mountaineers.

I don't think coach is. I have never seen him speak so passionately about his players like he did last night. He spoke of how he could coach the three seniors for the rest of his life. I don't think he has spoken like that about any other players before.

Falconboy · Post by **Falconboy** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 12:04 pm

Well, whatever. This becoming an epidemic!! :ugh: Does anyone know the reason why Austin is leaving? Man, we are getting low on bodies here! Looks like alot freshman will be gettin plenty of playing time as I see it. Hope DD is making good choices on who he gives schollies to round out this class. We can't afford to screw up on this year's recruiting class period! I was hoping that Monty would replace JR as a go to 3 pt shooter. Whas anyone surprised at Texas Tech losing WVU last night? I wasnt' TT just melted in the last 30 secs. to a much lesser athleticly talented team! Wow!

KPAFalcon · Post by **KPAFalcon** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 12:50 pm

Was Fitch at the banquet?

YoeyCC · Post by **YoeyCC** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 12:53 pm

If everyone doesn't want Montgomery to leave, find him and tell him. Maybe if he finds out how much support he has behind him, he'll play. Another thing, if you have a face book id and like Montgomery, join the fan club.

Post by **ZiggyZoomba** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 2:00 pm

KPAFalcon wrote:Was Fitch at the banquet?

No

factman · Post by **factman** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 3:38 pm

I don't have any problem with Austin leaving. He certainly seems like a nice person, from the little contact i have had with him, but if he thinks there is a better opportunity for him out there someplace, I think he should take it, because I don't honestly think he can be a huge help to Bowling Green basketball.
From my experience, these sort of situations are often a mediated solution between the coach and the player. The player is looking for more playing time, the coach is honest with him and says he does not see much more in the future, and often even helps the player find a new school to play for, making everyone happy. The player is somewhere he can play, and the coach can recruit a player that he feels will better fit the program, benefiting both people, and that certainly doen't make either a bad person.
If recruiting were an exact science, these problems wouldn't present themselves, but that is NOT the case. I don't think a coach ever recruits a player, thinking he will not work out and fit in, but it happens in ALL programs and ALL sports where there is recruiting. Coaches make some poor choices and so do recruits.......sometimes they just don't match in the long run, for various reasons.

Class of 61 · Post by **Class of 61** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 3:57 pm

factman wrote:I don't have any problem with Austin leaving. He certainly seems like a nice person, from the little contact i have had with him, but if he thinks there is a better opportunity for him out there someplace, I think he should take it, because I don't honestly think he can be a huge help to Bowling Green basketball.
From my experience, these sort of situations are often a mediated solution between the coach and the player. The player is looking for more playing time, the coach is honest with him and says he does not see much more in the future, and often even helps the player find a new school to play for, making everyone happy. The player is somewhere he can play, and the coach can recruit a player that he feels will better fit the program, benefiting both people, and that certainly doen't make either a bad person.
If recruiting were an exact science, these problems wouldn't present themselves, but that is NOT the case. I don't think a coach ever recruits a player, thinking he will not work out and fit in, but it happens in ALL programs and ALL sports where there is recruiting. Coaches make some poor choices and so do recruits.......sometimes they just don't match in the long run, for various reasons.

If Montgomery is indeed leaving, this might be the reason that DD mentioned he had TWO scholarships to give, when I talked to him after the ladies win over EMU at the Gund. I assumed it must be Fitch at the time, since the drug bust had just recently happened...now, I'm wondering if DD knew about Austin too.

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:16 pm

If he goes, Austin represents the coup de grace of the two "lost classes" of Falcon basketball recruits, and underlines the problems facing the program. It is perhaps not coincidential that these were the first two classes after the West Virginia debacle...as I said, perhaps not coincidential.

Here are the classes:

02-03
Stephen Wright--Productive player, still in program.
Ron Lewis--Two productive seasons, no junior year.
Raheem Moss--26 games, two starts, 66 career points, left program.

03-04
Chris Hobson, 28 games, 51 points, left program.
Austin Montgomery 56 games, 189 points, rumored to be leaving after two seasons.
Reggie Harwell--Nada.
Matt Lefeld--45 games, 52 points. Still in program.
Isaac Rosefelt--24 minutes, two points. Left Program.

If Austin leaves, this means we spent two recruiting classes--8 players--and only netted two who played beyond their sophomore season, and one of those (Lefeld) has essentially been non productive.

The hole we are seeing in next year's roster is the lack of seniors and juniors on the team, and that's because Ron and Raheem would have been seniors had they stayed and ready to carry the load.

For the long-term health of our program, the success of each member of this year's class is vital, or we're in for a long funk.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:57 pm

More disturbing is the trend of offseasons:

2005 - Austin Montgomery
2004 - Isaac Rosefelt, Chris Hobson, Ron Lewis
2003 - Raheem Moss
2002 - Erik Crawford

I would have to do the research, but I find it really hard to believe that it is normal to lose this many kids. I love Dan, but you cannot build a program when you can't even keep your kids in the program. Every year just becomes another rebuild with a bunch of underclassmen.

BleedOrange · Post by **BleedOrange** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:59 pm

Scholarship counts, with Fitch & Montgomery leaving:

1. Steven Wright 6-3
2. John Floyd 6-1
3. Moon Robinson 5-10
4. Matt Lefeld 6-11
5. Scott Vandermeer 6-11
6. Mawel Soler 6-5
7. Eric Marcshall 6-7
8. Jeremy Holland 6-8
9. Lionel Sullivan 6-6
10. Nick Wilson 6-5

I see us going after 2 guards, one of which may be something other than a freshman. I imagine (and perhaps hope) that the final scholarship will be given to a SO or JR frontliner.

Montgomery leaving

Montgomery leaving

Wow!! Montgomery gone?

Fitch

Re: Fitch

We'll have 3 to give