Ronnie Montgomery, Great Gator Point Guard, has died

[Fodderwing]

Former Florida basketball assist king Ronnie Montgomery dies at 58

Ronnie Montgomery, a starting point guard on the Norm Sloan-coached teams that reached the NCAA Tournament in 1987 and 1998, died this week

www.gainesville.com

 

[Fodderwing]

My first UF v UK game, Ronnie was the PG and he was dropping dimes for Maxwell & Moten.

He made an incredible behind the back pass while running full speed that one of the M&M boys scored a bucket on.

 

[Fodderwing]

Way too young at 58.

Ronnie Montgomery, one of just four Florida basketball players in school history to post 500 or more career assists, died this week at 58.

 

[AuggieDosta]

R.I.P. Ronnie.

 

[GatorJ]

Former Florida basketball assist king Ronnie Montgomery dies at 58

Ronnie Montgomery, a starting point guard on the Norm Sloan-coached teams that reached the NCAA Tournament in 1987 and 1998, died this week

www.gainesville.com

Does that snippet from the Gainesville Sun actually say that he was the point guard in 1987 and 1998? Their editors are bunch of retards.

 

[Fodderwing]

Yep, it says 1998 and has yet to be corrected.

Former Florida basketball assist king Ronnie Montgomery dies at 58

Ronnie Montgomery, a starting point guard on the Norm Sloan-coached teams that reached the NCAA Tournament in 1987 and 1998, died this week

www.gainesville.com

 

[MJMGator]

RIP

 

[Double Gator Dad]

This one hurts me a lot.
The vision of Ronnie on top of the rim with the Apple Time sign is etched in my mind forever.
It may seem insignificant today but it was a big deal at the time for a fledgling basketball program that guys like Ronnie Montgomery built.
Very coachable player and a great teammate that I enjoyed watching play back in the day. He and Andrew Moten were the real heart of those teams in spite of the clown Maxwell and his antics.

Rest in peace Mr Montgomery!!

 

[PastyStoole]

This one hurts me a lot.
The vision of Ronnie on top of the rim with the Apple Time sign is etched in my mind forever.
It may seem insignificant today but it was a big deal at the time for a fledgling basketball program that guys like Ronnie Montgomery built.
Very coachable player and a great teammate that I enjoyed watching play back in the day. He and Andrew Moten were the real heart of those teams in spite of the clown Maxwell and his antics.

Rest in peace Mr Montgomery!!

This is one of my favorite Gator Basketball memories. Somebody gave him a top hat, a cane, and a coat, and all 5'8 of him was boosted up to sit on the rim. I was at that game and the place was going nuts.

My other memory of him was a mention in Norm Sloan's book. Sloan said he had to have a talk with Ronnie and his parents because a girl Ronnie was dating was distracting him from practice and school, and his performance was being affected. Ronnie's dad, who was from a rural farming community, said to him, "Ronnie, Coach Sloan don't care where you stick your pecker. He don't care if you stick it in an old mule. Just as long as you make sure it doesn't affect you in basketball and school."

 

[Double Gator Dad]

This is one of my favorite Gator Basketball memories. Somebody gave him a top hat, a cane, and a coat, and all 5'8 of him was boosted up to sit on the rim. I was at that game and the place was going nuts.

My other memory of him was a mention in Sloane's book. Sloane said he had to have a talk with Ronnie and his parents because a girl Ronnie was dating was distracting him from practice and school, and his performance was being affected. Ronnie's dad, who was from a rural farming community, said to him, "Ronnie, Coach Sloane doesn't care where you stick your pecker. He doesn't care if you stick it in an old mule. Just as long as you make sure it doesn't affect you in basketball and school."

Great story Pasty. I hadn’t heard that before.

FTR, Ronnie Montgomery was 6’0” versus 5’8”.
You may be thinking of Erving Walker who was every bit of 5’8”.

 

[stephenPE]

A former standout at Jacksonville Ribault High, Montgomery was a pass-first point guard on the Norm Sloan-coached teams that featured high-scoring guards Vernon Maxwell and Andrew Moten and center Dwayne Schintzius, who died of leukemia in 2012. The group led UF to their first two NCAA Tournaments in school history in 1987 and 1988, with the Gators reaching the Sweet 16 in 1987 and Round of 32 in 1988.

 

[Silverback Gator]

Great thread. Thanks for the reminders. Live while able.

 

[Yankeetown]

Well dahm. Getting close-ish to as far back as I have personal memories of Gator basketball. Ronnie Montgomery was a very important part of those teams that broke into the NCAA tourney for the 1st time, and then again. Back then we had season tickets, saw a lot of games.

 

[Theologator]

A former standout at Jacksonville Ribault High, Montgomery was a pass-first point guard on the Norm Sloan-coached teams that featured high-scoring guards Vernon Maxwell and Andrew Moten and center Dwayne Schintzius, who died of leukemia in 2012. The group led UF to their first two NCAA Tournaments in school history in 1987 and 1988, with the Gators reaching the Sweet 16 in 1987 and Round of 32 in 1988.

Montgomery and Moten were also terrific on-ball defenders. They’d regularly draw charges on the opposing guards trying to bring the ball up the court. So quick.

Mad Max was also an excellent defender. I’m biased, but I always thought he defended Jordan better than anyone.

 

[stephenPE]

M&M boys all three...........Maxwell was great basketball player and crazy as hell........his interviews are nuts. He was called Mad Max for a reason. I bet him and Stormin Norman were a show in practice sometimes. I wish some of the guys there would tell some stories about it.

 

[Fodderwing]

M&M boys all three...........Maxwell was great basketball player and crazy as hell........his interviews are nuts. He was called Mad Max for a reason. I bet him and Stormin Norman were a show in practice sometimes. I wish some of the guys there would tell some stories about it.

Dead men tell no tales.

 

[BeachGator]

@Yankeetown

 

[deuce]

RIP Gator!