Scout & Fit: De'Shayne Montgomery joins Louisville
Louisville is making an impact on the defensive end of the floor with the addition of Dayton junior guard De’Shayne Montgomery.
Montgomery marks the fifth Louisville commitment during this portal cycle. He joins Jackson Shelstad, Flory Bidunga, Alvaro Folguieras, and Karter Knox as additions to Louisville’s 2026-27 roster.
Entering his final season of eligibility with the Cardinals, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard is coming off an All-A10 third team season at Dayton, where he averaged 13.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.1 steals a game. He finished second in the conference with 77 steals and also shot an efficient 49.0 percent from the floor and 33.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Montgomery began his career at Mount Saint Mary’s and also spent a year at Georgia.
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Offensive Scouting Report
De’Shayne Montgomery‘s splash and highlight plays jump off the screen when watching the tape. He’s electric on the open floor, plays above the rim, and has a unique sense of swagger with the ball in his hands.
A little Terrence Edwards Jr.– esque if you ask me. Both lefties, rather streaky from beyond the arc, and having good positional size with a knack for getting in the lane.
Things like Montgomery’s 60.5 2-point percentage at Dayton this past season do stand out. He was extremely efficient when attacking the basket, a consistent theme we have seen in Louisville’s class. He drew over 3 fouls per 40 minutes, made 79 percent of his free throws, and, as we have discussed with players like Knox, attempted more 2s than 3s this past season. This year, the Cardinals are prioritizing guys who finish at the rim time and time again.
I like how Montgomery uses his length and size to his advantage, attacking matchups inside, and also has a nice pump fake and jab step to create driving lanes for himself.
As a standstill and spot-up shooter, Montgomery found success, with seven games in which he hit three or more 3s this past season. However, there have been games where he’s struggled to get into a rhythm from beyond the arc and can be a little trigger-happy in an attempt to get going. That won’t be his role with the Cards, but Montgomery is a shot chucker and has a turnover problem.
With a turnover rate (17.0) higher than his assist rate (16.0), there’s some concern with his ball-handling. As he hunts his own shots, it leads to a lot of over-dribbling, and while he did drastically improve his turnover numbers from his one season at Georgia, Montgomery is not a player who should carry a significant facilitating load.
Defensive Scouting Report
As you’ll see in my clip-up below, Montgomery was one of the best perimeter defenders in his conference last season. From a statistical perspective, Montgomery was near the top of the A10 with a steal rate of 4.1, which ranked in the top 30 nationally and second in the league. But, watching on tape, it’s clear just how effective Montgomery was as a disruptor in opposing backcourts.
He rarely fouls, has excellent instincts, and knows how to use his frame to his advantage when reaching in for steals. Montgomery played over 73 percent of the minutes for Dayton last season, spending most of them guarding the opponent’s best scorer. Dayton often used him as the head of the snake, giving him free rein and allowing him to pick up point guards 94 feet.
A block rate of 2.4, Montgomery’s also very effective in zone schemes, where he can chase out and use his wingspan and athleticism to alter shots or deflect passes.
How will he fit in Louisville’s system?
An area of need for Louisville before the addition of Montgomery was perimeter defense; now, Montgomery should take pressure off Adrian Wooley and Jackson Shelstad. Not to mention, having one of the best rim protectors in all of college basketball behind them in Flory Bidunga,
Montgomery trends as a three-and-D for the Cardinals, who can impact the game at a high level on the defensive end and in transition. Dayton forced the 11th-most turnovers in the country last season, mostly thanks to Montgomery’s ball pressure, but didn’t capitalize in transition as you may have expected them to.
At Louisville, Montgomery will have the chance to play off the ball, where he can utilize his athleticism and hunt matchups on the baseline. He should be a difference maker on the fast break and also serve as an additional creator for Louisville’s backcourt if dealing with injuries and/or foul trouble.
