Former Lee University and Chattanooga Central High School standout Ryan Montgomery, right, is enjoying international success playing for Njardvik, Iceland in the Dominos League.
photo by Contributed
Editor’s note: The following is an interview done by Lee University Director of Radio Broadcasting George Starr with former Lee University basketball standout Ryan Montgomery. Montgomery was also a star player for Coach Rick Rogers at Central High School, leading the Purple Pounders to a state tournament appearance.
Montgomery worked overtime to help make a dream come true
Hard work has paid extra dividends for former Lee University basketball standout Ryan Montgomery. The 6-foot-6, 210 pound forward spent the entire 2019 off season preparing for the 2019-20 campaign. Almost every day he would first go to the weight room and then enter Walker Arena, working on extending his shooting range beyond the 3-point circle.
Parents helped pave way: Said Montgomery: “The main people that helped me during my time in high school were my parents and coaches, especially my mom and dad (Stacie and Leonard Jackson). They helped me stay on course and supported me in any decision I made. Even throughout college they were a big part of my life, and I cannot thank them enough. I am the first person in my family to finish high school and college. Those two people are the main reason I did it.”
Outstanding season suddenly ends: The long hours of work quickly paid off when the 2019-20 season began. Montgomery, who was an All-State performer at Chattanooga Central High School, joined with his only other senior teammate Parker Suedekum in leading the Flames to a 22-7 overall record, 16-4 mark in Gulf South Conference play. The Flames were in Lakeland, Florida getting ready for men’s basketball first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament when the NCAA suspended all sports due to the surging coronavirus pandemic.
Overall, his individual effort speaks for itself. Montgomery was named first team All-GSC after averaging over 18 points and six rebounds per game. He shot 49% from the field and made 81% of his free throws and stepped up to can 49 3-point shots. At the same time, he pushed toward gaining his communications degree and graduated in May of 2020.
Dreams came true: Ryan’s dreams of playing professional basketball overseas are now a reality. With the help of an agency (Hart Sports) he signed with Njardvik, a team from Njardvik, Iceland that plays in the Dominos League. It is a first-division league that plays against the best competition in Iceland. Montgomery said his team’s season is scheduled to last until late April or May. “We have played only one regular-season game so far and we won it. Currently our season has been put on hold because of the COVID-19 spike here in Iceland,” he explained.
No more going to class: “It feels good not getting up and worrying about going to class, just focusing on doing something I like, but it does make your day longer because you can’t be in the gym all day, so I have to find other hobbies and things to do,” he pointed out. “Since I am in a new country, I just go sight-seeing and try stuff I have never done. I am still on a schedule. I have morning workouts at 6:30 then lunch at noon. After that, the team has weights around 2 p.m., then practice around 5 p.m. So, I am kind of still on a schedule like school, but just without the schoolwork.
Life is good for the former Flame. “The team pays for everything. I had a fully furnished apartment when I got here. I had a car waiting on me. I get free food throughout the day. The team takes care of you,” he added. “The temperature here is cold. I have adjusted well to it, but it is usually 50 degree or lower right now. My teammates tell me once we get into the regular winter months, it will get colder. I am still waiting for that, but right now it is not that bad. We have some days that are really cold, it has not been that big of an adjustment so far,” he confessed.
Run and gun style: “Our team has a run-and-gun type of play style. We like to get up and down and run the score up if we can. We try to score around 80-90 points a game, but our team also led the league in defense by almost 10 points last year. My coach, Einar Jóhannsson, is from Iceland. He was born and raised here in Njardvik. We are only allowed one American import per team here. I did not know any of my teammates coming into the season, and I do not know any of the guys on the opposing teams,” he concluded.
About Njardvik and Iceland: Iceland is in the North Atlantic Ocean and lying on the constantly active geologic border between North America and Europe. Ryan is 5,238 miles from Chattanooga. His team, Njardvik, is located some 42 miles down the coast from the capital city of Reykjavik. Currently the average temperatures range from a 36 low to a mid-40 high. The main language in Iceland is Icelandic and Ryan admits he has not learned to speak the language, yet. “I am picking up on some small stuff they say, but it still sounds weird to me.”
Plenty of travel: “We are scheduled to travel around the whole Island of Iceland to play games, and some of our games are nine hours away. We will fly to the other side of the island, and we will travel quite a bit to other games. Other opponents are close, so that is good as well,” he concluded.
Praising college coaches: “Playing for Lee has prepared me a lot, especially not just physically but mentally. Over here the game is so fast. We have only a 24-second shot clock, so if you miss a shot you can’t worry about it because you have to get back and be prepared to guard and be ready for the next shot when it comes your way.
“Playing for (Lee Head) Coach (Bubba) Smith and assistant (Cole) Rose has been a big help. Defense was a big part for our team, so I feel like that is my advantage over here. Just being physically and mentally tough, because they challenge you in that way everyday over here, so that has helped me a lot. Plus, the extra work I did with my trainer Jordan Olison helped me just have confidence in the work I put into the game,” proclaimed Ryan.
Coach Smith about Ryan: “We are extremely proud of Ryan and how hard he has worked to extend his playing career in Iceland. When Covid-19 ended our season in the NCAA Tournament, the future for a lot of guys wanting to play professionally was put on hold. Ryan stayed in the gym. He kept working and was patient. We knew it was just a matter of time.
“Ryan’s time at Lee, his development as a player, and more so his development as a person, prepared him for this journey. Being thousands of miles away from what you know, functioning in culture that is unique and different, and having to adapt to your surroundings is a hard thing to do. Ryan’s growth as a young man at Lee has prepared him for this experience to travel the world and continue to pursue his love for the game of basketball.”