Dayton basketball: De'Shayne Montgomery

De’Shayne Montgomery took more calls the first time he entered the transfer portal than the second time but had no shortage of coaches reaching out this spring after making the decision to leave the Georgia Bulldogs.

The first coach to contact Montgomery was a fellow Florida native, Dayton Flyers assistant coach James Kane.

“As soon as I hit the portal, coach Kane hit me and my dad,” Montgomery said, “and then we set up the Zoom call from there. After the Zoom call, that’s when the relationship started to build.”

The Zoom call led to a campus visit, and it would be the only one Montgomery took. He planned to visit another school but committed to Dayton during his visit in April, becoming the first 2025 transfer to pick the Flyers.

“We were done seeing the practice facility, and my mom and my dad and me were about to leave,” Montgomery said. “Right before I left, I said, ‘I’ve got one more thing to say: I’m committed.’”

A 6-foot-4 guard from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Montgomery has two seasons of eligibility remaining. He averaged 13.2 points per game as a freshman at Mount St. Mary’s and 6.5 points last season at Georgia.

Montgomery said he chose Dayton because of the family environment.

“That’s one thing that’s big for me,” he said. “They checked the box on that. And also what I want to do, basketball wise, they check the box on that too, as well. I feel like it’s a good situation for me.”

Montgomery told his story Monday as he and the other six newcomers on the 2025-26 roster sat down with the Dayton Daily News in a series of interviews. All of them have been on campus since early June. The Flyers complete their summer practice period next week.

“We’re learning the concepts,” Montgomery said. “Guys are coming from different schools. We’ve been learning at a real good pace. One thing I enjoy about practice is everybody likes to compete at the highest level.”

Like North Carolina State transfer Bryce Heard and Villanova transfer Malcolm Thomas, Montgomery comes to Dayton looking for a bigger role than he had at his last school. He played 27.8 minutes per game as a freshman at Mount St. Mary’s and 15.5 last season at Georgia.

Montgomery was ineligible to play in the first nine games last season because of an issue with his credits transferring from Mount St. Mary’s. The adversity helped him grow as a player, he said.

“That was probably my hardest year, being ineligible, coming back and not playing,” he said. “It was a lot of ups and downs for me. So I’m mentally ready now.”

Montgomery’s teammates have gotten to know him this summer and gave their scouting reports on him Monday.

“He’s an energy giver,” said guard Jordan Derkack, a transfer from Rutgers. “He’s excited every day. He’s got the same face on every day. He works hard. He’s super athletic. If he’s got a runway to the rim, it can be dangerous. But I think more than anything, it’s the culture he’s brought from the schools he’s been at. It’s been a pleasure just to be around him for the two months I’ve been here just because of the way he buys into coach Grant and the other coaches and the way he comes in and works every day.”

“He sprints the floor,” said guard Adam Njie Jr., a transfer from Iona. “He plays hard. He defends. He has a high motor. He’s just a great guy off the court as well. He’s a great person to play with because he brings that energy.”

Forward Malcolm Thomas, a Villanova transfer, praised Montgomery’s defensive abilities.

“He really loves defense, and he really loves getting under people’s skin,” Thomas said. “and he’s athletic. He can shoot a ball, so I feel like he’s going to be a big piece for us.”