College Station, Texas ? Homesick from time to time during his freshman season, Keith Langford is ready for a weekend in the Lone Star State.
“I have really good feelings about going back home to see some old faces,” said Langford, Kansas University’s 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard.
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He expects to see about 30 relatives and friends in the Reed Arena stands for today’s KU-Texas A&M game. Tipoff is 3:05 p.m. in College Station, a 21*2-hour drive from his hometown of Fort Worth.
“I will be hyped playing back home. It’s sort of similar to the Oklahoma game. A&M recruited me,” explained Langford, a first-team all-state pick out of North Crowley High who was recruited by OU and A&M.
Langford scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds in KU’s 74-67 victory over Oklahoma last Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
He followed that with a strong eight-point, four-rebound outing in KU’s 88-81 victory over Iowa State on Wednesday in Ames.
Langford played 25 minutes against OU and 22 versus Iowa State and was on the court at the end of both games.
He appears to be coming on strong at a time many freshmen begin running out of gas.
Why hasn’t he hit the “freshman brick wall” that fellow freshman Wayne Simien said he’s run into?
“Maybe ’cause I hit it early. I’ve probably hit it twice, twice in the span of a month,” Langford said with a smile. “You are talking about physical and mental exhaustion. I hit it in mid-December, right before the break.
“I wouldn’t let it take an effect on me. It’s why I’m working so hard in the weight room, so that doesn’t happen again.”
Langford, who averages 8.1 points on 49.1-percent shooting with 3.4 rebounds, is beginning to make a difference when games are on the line.
For instance, he hit a spinning, driving, somewhat acrobatic layup with 2:49 left in Ames, erasing a 78-77 deficit.
“I was going to spin right. I slipped, got hit, and was off balance,” Langford said. “Somebody must have wanted that to go in badly. There’s no way I could see what I was doing. I just hoped to get it off the glass where my teammates could get the rebound.”
Instead, his shot fell through the hoop.
Also, Langford guarded red-hot Iowa State guard Jake Sullivan down the stretch.
“He is playing better on the defensive end of the floor,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “I think the Oklahoma game was the first he had a very good defensive grade.
“And he gives you that other offensive rebounder or other defensive rebounder. He’s got to be a defender or he can’t play, that’s the bottom line. He’s gotten better and better at the defensive part of it.”
Langford has worked hard on his footwork.
“I guess I finally realized playing defense has a lot to do with how much you play and how effective you are,” he said of playing time. “If you work real hard on defense at practice, you play.”
Not only has he improved on defense, but Langford has learned to adjust to not being the “go-to” guy on offense as he was in high school.
“I don’t want to blow my own horn, but it takes a special person to do it. You have to be mentally tough,” Langford said of making the adjustment to college ball. “I can see why athletes end up going home and can’t take what they are going through, making the adjustment. Everybody can’t do it. A lot don’t have the patience.
“I am not stupid. You’ve got a future lottery pick playing on the team. The first option is Drew (Gooden). We’ve got seniors, guys experienced. They will be the main people.”
You better believe Langford is learning from his elders, guys like senior Jeff Boschee.
“Late in the game, when Iowa State was making a run, Boschee snapped at a couple of us. I’ve never seen that before. It really fired me up to see how much he wanted to win. You never hear Boschee screaming, but he was saying, ‘Let’s go, we’re not going to lose this game.’ You get the taste how bad he wants to win.”
The Jayhawks have many marquee names, but today, Langford will be the main man to many in the stands.
He was one of the top players in Texas last year, though not a McDonald’s All-American.
“I think people know me a lot throughout the state. I think they know me. If they don’t I’ll be surprised,” he said with a grin.
College Station, Texas ? Homesick from time to time during his freshman season, Keith Langford is ready for a weekend in the Lone Star State.
“I have really good feelings about going back home to see some old faces,” said Langford, Kansas University’s 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard.
|
|||
He expects to see about 30 relatives and friends in the Reed Arena stands for today’s KU-Texas A&M game. Tipoff is 3:05 p.m. in College Station, a 21*2-hour drive from his hometown of Fort Worth.
“I will be hyped playing back home. It’s sort of similar to the Oklahoma game. A&M recruited me,” explained Langford, a first-team all-state pick out of North Crowley High who was recruited by OU and A&M.
Langford scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds in KU’s 74-67 victory over Oklahoma last Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
He followed that with a strong eight-point, four-rebound outing in KU’s 88-81 victory over Iowa State on Wednesday in Ames.
Langford played 25 minutes against OU and 22 versus Iowa State and was on the court at the end of both games.
He appears to be coming on strong at a time many freshmen begin running out of gas.
Why hasn’t he hit the “freshman brick wall” that fellow freshman Wayne Simien said he’s run into?
“Maybe ’cause I hit it early. I’ve probably hit it twice, twice in the span of a month,” Langford said with a smile. “You are talking about physical and mental exhaustion. I hit it in mid-December, right before the break.
“I wouldn’t let it take an effect on me. It’s why I’m working so hard in the weight room, so that doesn’t happen again.”
Langford, who averages 8.1 points on 49.1-percent shooting with 3.4 rebounds, is beginning to make a difference when games are on the line.
For instance, he hit a spinning, driving, somewhat acrobatic layup with 2:49 left in Ames, erasing a 78-77 deficit.
“I was going to spin right. I slipped, got hit, and was off balance,” Langford said. “Somebody must have wanted that to go in badly. There’s no way I could see what I was doing. I just hoped to get it off the glass where my teammates could get the rebound.”
Instead, his shot fell through the hoop.
Also, Langford guarded red-hot Iowa State guard Jake Sullivan down the stretch.
“He is playing better on the defensive end of the floor,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “I think the Oklahoma game was the first he had a very good defensive grade.
“And he gives you that other offensive rebounder or other defensive rebounder. He’s got to be a defender or he can’t play, that’s the bottom line. He’s gotten better and better at the defensive part of it.”
Langford has worked hard on his footwork.
“I guess I finally realized playing defense has a lot to do with how much you play and how effective you are,” he said of playing time. “If you work real hard on defense at practice, you play.”
Not only has he improved on defense, but Langford has learned to adjust to not being the “go-to” guy on offense as he was in high school.
“I don’t want to blow my own horn, but it takes a special person to do it. You have to be mentally tough,” Langford said of making the adjustment to college ball. “I can see why athletes end up going home and can’t take what they are going through, making the adjustment. Everybody can’t do it. A lot don’t have the patience.
“I am not stupid. You’ve got a future lottery pick playing on the team. The first option is Drew (Gooden). We’ve got seniors, guys experienced. They will be the main people.”
You better believe Langford is learning from his elders, guys like senior Jeff Boschee.
“Late in the game, when Iowa State was making a run, Boschee snapped at a couple of us. I’ve never seen that before. It really fired me up to see how much he wanted to win. You never hear Boschee screaming, but he was saying, ‘Let’s go, we’re not going to lose this game.’ You get the taste how bad he wants to win.”
The Jayhawks have many marquee names, but today, Langford will be the main man to many in the stands.
He was one of the top players in Texas last year, though not a McDonald’s All-American.
“I think people know me a lot throughout the state. I think they know me. If they don’t I’ll be surprised,” he said with a grin.
College Station, Texas ? Homesick from time to time during his freshman season, Keith Langford is ready for a weekend in the Lone Star State.
“I have really good feelings about going back home to see some old faces,” said Langford, Kansas University’s 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard.
|
|||
He expects to see about 30 relatives and friends in the Reed Arena stands for today’s KU-Texas A&M game. Tipoff is 3:05 p.m. in College Station, a 21*2-hour drive from his hometown of Fort Worth.
“I will be hyped playing back home. It’s sort of similar to the Oklahoma game. A&M recruited me,” explained Langford, a first-team all-state pick out of North Crowley High who was recruited by OU and A&M.
Langford scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds in KU’s 74-67 victory over Oklahoma last Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
He followed that with a strong eight-point, four-rebound outing in KU’s 88-81 victory over Iowa State on Wednesday in Ames.
Langford played 25 minutes against OU and 22 versus Iowa State and was on the court at the end of both games.
He appears to be coming on strong at a time many freshmen begin running out of gas.
Why hasn’t he hit the “freshman brick wall” that fellow freshman Wayne Simien said he’s run into?
“Maybe ’cause I hit it early. I’ve probably hit it twice, twice in the span of a month,” Langford said with a smile. “You are talking about physical and mental exhaustion. I hit it in mid-December, right before the break.
“I wouldn’t let it take an effect on me. It’s why I’m working so hard in the weight room, so that doesn’t happen again.”
Langford, who averages 8.1 points on 49.1-percent shooting with 3.4 rebounds, is beginning to make a difference when games are on the line.
For instance, he hit a spinning, driving, somewhat acrobatic layup with 2:49 left in Ames, erasing a 78-77 deficit.
“I was going to spin right. I slipped, got hit, and was off balance,” Langford said. “Somebody must have wanted that to go in badly. There’s no way I could see what I was doing. I just hoped to get it off the glass where my teammates could get the rebound.”
Instead, his shot fell through the hoop.
Also, Langford guarded red-hot Iowa State guard Jake Sullivan down the stretch.
“He is playing better on the defensive end of the floor,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “I think the Oklahoma game was the first he had a very good defensive grade.
“And he gives you that other offensive rebounder or other defensive rebounder. He’s got to be a defender or he can’t play, that’s the bottom line. He’s gotten better and better at the defensive part of it.”
Langford has worked hard on his footwork.
“I guess I finally realized playing defense has a lot to do with how much you play and how effective you are,” he said of playing time. “If you work real hard on defense at practice, you play.”
Not only has he improved on defense, but Langford has learned to adjust to not being the “go-to” guy on offense as he was in high school.
“I don’t want to blow my own horn, but it takes a special person to do it. You have to be mentally tough,” Langford said of making the adjustment to college ball. “I can see why athletes end up going home and can’t take what they are going through, making the adjustment. Everybody can’t do it. A lot don’t have the patience.
“I am not stupid. You’ve got a future lottery pick playing on the team. The first option is Drew (Gooden). We’ve got seniors, guys experienced. They will be the main people.”
You better believe Langford is learning from his elders, guys like senior Jeff Boschee.
“Late in the game, when Iowa State was making a run, Boschee snapped at a couple of us. I’ve never seen that before. It really fired me up to see how much he wanted to win. You never hear Boschee screaming, but he was saying, ‘Let’s go, we’re not going to lose this game.’ You get the taste how bad he wants to win.”
The Jayhawks have many marquee names, but today, Langford will be the main man to many in the stands.
He was one of the top players in Texas last year, though not a McDonald’s All-American.
“I think people know me a lot throughout the state. I think they know me. If they don’t I’ll be surprised,” he said with a grin.
College Station, Texas ? Homesick from time to time during his freshman season, Keith Langford is ready for a weekend in the Lone Star State.
“I have really good feelings about going back home to see some old faces,” said Langford, Kansas University’s 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard.
|
|||
He expects to see about 30 relatives and friends in the Reed Arena stands for today’s KU-Texas A&M game. Tipoff is 3:05 p.m. in College Station, a 21*2-hour drive from his hometown of Fort Worth.
“I will be hyped playing back home. It’s sort of similar to the Oklahoma game. A&M recruited me,” explained Langford, a first-team all-state pick out of North Crowley High who was recruited by OU and A&M.
Langford scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds in KU’s 74-67 victory over Oklahoma last Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
He followed that with a strong eight-point, four-rebound outing in KU’s 88-81 victory over Iowa State on Wednesday in Ames.
Langford played 25 minutes against OU and 22 versus Iowa State and was on the court at the end of both games.
He appears to be coming on strong at a time many freshmen begin running out of gas.
Why hasn’t he hit the “freshman brick wall” that fellow freshman Wayne Simien said he’s run into?
“Maybe ’cause I hit it early. I’ve probably hit it twice, twice in the span of a month,” Langford said with a smile. “You are talking about physical and mental exhaustion. I hit it in mid-December, right before the break.
“I wouldn’t let it take an effect on me. It’s why I’m working so hard in the weight room, so that doesn’t happen again.”
Langford, who averages 8.1 points on 49.1-percent shooting with 3.4 rebounds, is beginning to make a difference when games are on the line.
For instance, he hit a spinning, driving, somewhat acrobatic layup with 2:49 left in Ames, erasing a 78-77 deficit.
“I was going to spin right. I slipped, got hit, and was off balance,” Langford said. “Somebody must have wanted that to go in badly. There’s no way I could see what I was doing. I just hoped to get it off the glass where my teammates could get the rebound.”
Instead, his shot fell through the hoop.
Also, Langford guarded red-hot Iowa State guard Jake Sullivan down the stretch.
“He is playing better on the defensive end of the floor,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “I think the Oklahoma game was the first he had a very good defensive grade.
“And he gives you that other offensive rebounder or other defensive rebounder. He’s got to be a defender or he can’t play, that’s the bottom line. He’s gotten better and better at the defensive part of it.”
Langford has worked hard on his footwork.
“I guess I finally realized playing defense has a lot to do with how much you play and how effective you are,” he said of playing time. “If you work real hard on defense at practice, you play.”
Not only has he improved on defense, but Langford has learned to adjust to not being the “go-to” guy on offense as he was in high school.
“I don’t want to blow my own horn, but it takes a special person to do it. You have to be mentally tough,” Langford said of making the adjustment to college ball. “I can see why athletes end up going home and can’t take what they are going through, making the adjustment. Everybody can’t do it. A lot don’t have the patience.
“I am not stupid. You’ve got a future lottery pick playing on the team. The first option is Drew (Gooden). We’ve got seniors, guys experienced. They will be the main people.”
You better believe Langford is learning from his elders, guys like senior Jeff Boschee.
“Late in the game, when Iowa State was making a run, Boschee snapped at a couple of us. I’ve never seen that before. It really fired me up to see how much he wanted to win. You never hear Boschee screaming, but he was saying, ‘Let’s go, we’re not going to lose this game.’ You get the taste how bad he wants to win.”
The Jayhawks have many marquee names, but today, Langford will be the main man to many in the stands.
He was one of the top players in Texas last year, though not a McDonald’s All-American.
“I think people know me a lot throughout the state. I think they know me. If they don’t I’ll be surprised,” he said with a grin.