South Elgin point guard Drake Montgomery doesn’t see too much of a difference.
As a junior, Montgomery averaged 15.1 points last season, ranking second on the team. As a senior, he will be the leader on and off the court this season for a Storm team with high expectations.
And he gets it.
“Being a point guard, the responsibility comes with it,” Montgomery said. “I definitely feel like I have more responsibility. I’m looking forward to controlling the game. I feel like I can lead them in the right direction.”
South Elgin coach Brett Johnson knows he has a luxury welcoming back a point guard with experience.
Montgomery, an all-conference selection, averaged 4.9 rebounds and added 137 assists and 82 steals in his 27 games last season. He also shot 80 percent from the free-throw line, 53.7 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from 3-point range.
“He just needs to be a leader and take control,” Johnson said of Montgomery. “He’s got the ball in his hands. He’s so good in the transition game. We have to take advantage of his ability to move and use his body to find ways to score and kick out.
“Those are the things that are going to get him looks to play at the next level, and that’s what he wants to do.”
Montgomery will have help with the return of Vince Miszkiewicz, South Elgin’s leading scorer last season. The energetic 6-foot-7 forward averaged 16.5 points.
“Vince is fun to play with,” Montgomery said. “It takes a lot off of my shoulders. It gets my assists up. He’s crazy about the game. He loves it.”
Miszkiewicz’s ability around the rim produced an average of 12.3 rebounds, and he also shoot 67.3 percent from the floor. He made 80.1 percent of his free throws, adding another level to his game.
“He’s already taken leaps and bounds forward,” Johnson said of Miszkiewicz. “He’s being a senior leader alongside Jace Warrick and Drake Montgomery. They’re leading the team through what they do, their communication.
“I have a good group of kids right now. I think we can only get better. We show it in spurts in games.”
There is plenty of returning firepower for the Storm, but they are using the summer to get used to their new supporting cast.
“It’s going to be a good group,” Montgomery said. “With the players we have around me and Vince, I think we can do some really good things.
“It’s a really cool group. I have expectations of winning the conference. We feel like we can beat anybody.”
The other thing on Montgomery’s mind is a shot at playing in college. Between his work with South Elgin and his travel team, Montgomery is enjoying that process as well.
“It’s been my goal since I was like 10,” he said of playing in college. “It’s really fun knowing that it’s close and I just have to work my butt off.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.