For CMU to find postseason success, it needs Rob Montgomery
The first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament for Central Michigan has come and gone, and the Chippewas moving on to the quarterfinals.
CMU defeated its in-state rival Western Michigan 81-67 at McGuirk Arena to advance. However, it struggled for a majority of the first half.
Many of the Chippewas' struggles against the Broncos went hand-in-hand with containing their 7-foot center, senior Seth Dugan.
Dugan scored 12 points in the first half alone. All but one of his baskets were from inside the key, as the other came at the free throw line. He finished with a game-high 29 points and 17 rebounds, but it wasn't enough for a victory.
There was little-to-no big man presence inside for the Chippewas, as junior guard Rob Montgomery played limited action. He was playing his first game since suffering a groin injury March 2 in warmups against Toledo.
He missed the next three games, two of which were at home against Toledo and Northern Illinois – both losses. He missed the regular season finale victory against the Broncos at University Arena.
Montgomery's absence was felt because he adds depth inside. He stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs in at 225 pounds. Essentially, the forward compensates for his lack of height with his gritty style of play.
"We need (Montgomery) if we're going to try and win this thing," said coach Keno Davis. "The size differential we've had hasn't bothered us all year until Rob was out.
"How hard he plays and the physicality with which he plays really allows us to take advantage of that lack of size as a strength offensively."
A healthy Montgomery is the biggest key for the Chippewas as they begin to dive deep into postseason play.
His ability to score and defend down low is one of the biggest facets of the game CMU is currently missing.
Senior guards Larry Austin Jr. and Shawn Roundtree Jr. are great to have for transition layups and driving to the basket to set up other shooters, but CMU needs more than just that offensive production from guards.
Western Michigan senior center Seth Dugan walks across the court on Feb. 11 in McGuirk Arena.
Against the Broncos, Montgomery only registered one rebound in nine minutes of action. As Austin said in the postgame press conference, Montgomery meant much more than his statistics.
"His presence is felt," Austin said. "His voice is heard and just him being around the basket takes the bigs away from him because he's a rebounding threat."
Montgomery averages 11 points per game for the Chippewas, which proves consequential late in close games. This is important because almost every game in March seems to come down to the final minutes.
Roundtree said that it was important for Montgomery to play in the game so he can re-adjust to competition, preparing himself for the remainder of the MAC Tournament.
"We're going to need him coming up on Thursday (against Kent State)," Roundtree said.
Sophomore guard Dallas Morgan has earned the start in place of Montgomery and has played valiantly, averaging 12.6 points per game in those starts.
He scored well, even more than what Montgomery averages for the season, but there was that inside presence missing.
Sophomore Romelo Burrell was another replacement for Montgomery off the bench, and he adds height but lacks weight to bang with the big boys underneath the hoop. In the three games that Montgomery missed, Burrell averaged two points per game with a scoreless season-ending performance against Toledo.
Montgomery returning to the starting rotation is going to help the Chippewas because he will add much-needed scoring and a true inside game.
For CMU to succeed in the MAC Tournament and potentially leave Cleveland victorious, it needs to feed Montgomery – an anchor for the team.
