Lee senior Ryan Montgomery was named First Team South All-District by the National Association of Basketball Coaches the organization announced on Monday.
Montgomery, who played his high school ball at Chattanooga Central, was a key cog in a historic 2019-2020 season that saw the Flames set NCAA program high's in wins (22), earn their first GSC Tournament victory and received their first NCAA National Tournament berth.
"I'm really proud of Ryan and how hard he has worked over these last four years. Four years ago Ryan was a great athlete trying to figure out the college game.
Now he's made himself into a player that can have a career in the sport if he chooses to do so," said Lee head coach Bubba Smith.
Montgomery was named to the All-GSC First Team and D2CCA All-South Region Second Team after posting 18.1 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game.
"Ryan's a special player, but more importantly, he's even a better person, leader and role model. He's as talented and unselfish as any player I've ever coached. His team witnessed what servant leadership looks like, and he's left an indelible mark on Lee men's basketball," noted Smith.
Joining Montgomery on the first team was Tylan Birts (Barry), Avery Brown (Miles), GSC Player of the Year Clay Guillozet (Valdosta State), Brett Hanson (Florida Southern) and Mark Matthews (Nova Southeastern). Florida Southern's Mike Donnelly earned Coach of the Year honors.
About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City, MO, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org