NBL Player Profile: Daequon Montreal
Photo Credit: Dandenong Journal
Steve Chalmers provides a background check on the only NBL import coming out of the SEABL this season, plus how he'll slide into the new look Adelaide outfit.
Who is Daequon Montreal?
Montreal is a 6'8'' athletic forward who can play a variety of positions due to his length. He knows his way to the rim and can certainly score in multiple ways, which has been evidenced by his stellar season for Dandenong Rangers in the SEABL this year.
"He is an athletic long type athlete that should be exciting around the rim and getting up and down the floor. The reference’s on this kid has been the quality of person and the leadership and presence he will bring both on-court & off-court" - Basketball Operations Manager of Dandenong Basketball, Leigh Gooding.
Going by the nickname of DQ, Montreal has had a long wait for his shot at the NBL after coming to Australia back in 2011.
History
Montreal's rise through the ranks of basketball started where most would have expected; during his college career.
He attended Southern Idaho during his first two years before transferring to Boise State where he joined the school's basketball department, which included former NBL stalwart current Boise State assistant coach John Rillie.
Playing 69 games with Boise State, including 49 as a starter, Montreal went on to become a solid role player in the team's plans, averaging 10.5ppg and 5.3rpg.
After going undrafted in the 2011 NBA draft, Montreal has spent the last three years playing for Dandenong Rangers in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL). Many Australian basketball fans will remember DQ for scoring 46 points in last year's Grand Final when Dandenong went on to lift the trophy.
Photo Credit: Dandenong Basketball
Throughout his first couple of SEABL seasons, Montreal had been on the radar of both the Wollongong Hawks and Sydney Kings, however never made the final roster of an NBL club.
Most recently, Montreal was the third leading scorer in the SEABL for 2014 with an average of 23.8ppg alongside 7.6rpg. His Rangers were bundled out of the Conference Semi Finals with a loss to the Geelong Supercats a week ago.
Highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI7GY9ZnED8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUJVWEECV-8
Future
As Montreal will not be your typical 'head down under and play a season' import, DQ should feel at home in Adelaide from very early in the season. With Jamar Wilson heading south after a couple of seasons with the Taipans, Montreal will have a veteran NBL import to learn from and grow over the course of the season.
Adelaide Head Coach Joey Wright will have plenty of work to do, as it seems the Sixers are not as well placed as they were last season where they managed a Grand Final appearance. Losing their top two stars from 2013/14 in Daniel Johnson and Gary Ervin have opened big holes in which Wright will be looking to quickly fill.
Asked whether DQ was going to be a starter on the Sixers squad, Wright replied with:
“I don’t know. One thing I never do is try to predict who is going to start or not.” - Head Coach Joey Wright
It's looking like a back to the walls season for the Sixers, however if their fans can jump on board early, it could give them a massive push in the right direction.
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