EJ Montgomery talks about what drew him to UK, Calipari’s pitch

EJ Montgomery could be John Calipari’s next great big man. I mean, Calipari had a lot of interest in him, and he’s drawing Anthony Davis comparisons, so why not?

In an interview with SEC Country’s Kyle Tucker, Montgomery and his family talked about what drew Montgomery to Kentucky, and part of it was the pitch to be Kentucky’s next big man.

Knowing that NBA star Anthony Davis is his hero, Calipari told Montgomery he could see similarities in their skills. When Duke, once the favorite to land him, signed three of the nation’s top five players and four McDonald’s All-Americans, Calipari told Montgomery there wasn’t anyone on Kentucky’s 2018-19 roster like him.

Calipari had already likened to Montgomery to Davis in a press release following Montgomery’s signing.

“EJ is the type of position-less player the game is moving towards,” Calipari said. “He can play just about anywhere and make plays on the perimeter with his skills and versatility, yet he’s got the length and the ability to finish in the post as well as anyone in this class. What I love about him is he models his game after Anthony Davis, one of the best we’ve ever had, but wants to be his own player and carve out his legacy.”

It’s rare for Calipari to be able to tell a five-star that there’s no one like him on his team. The Wildcats are generally loaded on talent, and that’s not necessarily untrue this year, but Montgomery is the only true big in the class, and he’s got the star power to be the best big on the team.

Montgomery is the No. 9 player in the class of 2018, and the No. 2 power forward, according to 247 Sports. Hailing from Marietta, Georgia, he has played against Kentucky commit Ashton Hagans, and the two already work well together.

The 6-10, 200-lb big man could be the most important piece on next year’s team, and he could be the biggest star. Going against his usual style, Calipari played that up in the pitch.

Looks like it worked.