Dallas ? Keith Langford’s love for the Lone Star State won’t affect his focus this weekend.
“I’d always rather play close to my people, my family,” said Langford, a native of Fort Worth, Texas. “But the bottom line is even if we weren’t playing in Dallas, we’ve still got to win.”
Langford, Kansas University’s junior guard and second-leading scorer, has won both in Texas and against teams from his home state. Since Langford’s freshman season in 2001-02, Kansas is 14-1 against Texas schools and 6-2 in games played in Texas.
Tonight, he’s back in familiar surroundings as the No. 18-ranked Jayhawks (20-7) are set to tangle with Missouri (16-12) in a Big 12 Conference tournament quarterfinal contest at American Airlines Center. Tipoff is 8:30 p.m. with a live telecast on Sunflower Broadband channels 4 and 13.
“I’m looking forward to it, a lot of my family members will be there,” Langford said. “It will obviously be on the big stage. There’s a lot of risk involved, but were looking at it like the opportunity to get back at people we lost to.”
Jayhawk success could prompt games against Texas and Oklahoma State, teams that have defeated KU this season.
“The only Texas team I’ve lost to since I’ve been here is UT this year,” said Langford, who had 17 points in KU’s 82-67 loss Feb. 23 to the Longhorns in Austin.
In December, Langford exploded for 24 points off 9-of-10 shooting in a win over Texas Christian in his homecoming game in Fort Worth.
“You could say I had a lot of success against Texas teams,” said Langford, who has averaged 13.1 points in 15 games against Texas teams, “but a lot of that success had to do with people like Nick (Collison), Kirk (Hinrich) and Drew (Gooden), and (Jeff) Boschee and some of those guys, too, plus my current teammates.
“It wasn’t like I did it all on my own.”
He’s 1-1 at 19,100-seat American Airlines Center, where the tourney relocated last year from Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo.
The tourney returns to Kemper next season, then it could rotate between places like Denver, Oklahoma City, Dallas and Omaha, Neb., as well as Kansas City.
“It’s not really night and day, but American Airlines is an NBA arena owned by one of the richest owners in the league,” Langford said of Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban.
“Of course it might be a little nicer (than Kemper), but it’s just a gym, a gym with two basketball goals and lines on the court.”
Like Langford, KU senior reserve Bryant Nash is looking forward to playing in his home state. He’s a native of Carrollton, a Dallas suburb.
“When we go to somebody’s home we have to protect that person,” said Nash, 17-2 against Texas teams in four years.
“Like if we go to Kansas City or something, we say we have to protect the Jeffs. We’ve got to protect Jeff Graves and Jeff Hawkins. If we play a team on somebody’s home turf, we’ve got to protect them. Give them bragging rights, that’s what we call it.”
At last season’s Big 12 tournament, KU beat Iowa State, then lost to Missouri.
“It’s our second time, right there in downtown Dallas. We kind of stunk last year, but we’re looking to win this thing. We’re just going to go out there and have fun,” Nash said.
Fun for Langford will include his favorite fast food — Jack in the Box.
“I might ask my mom to bring it by the hotel or something,” Langford said. “I’ll experience it some way.”
He hopes to experience a third straight win over Missouri.
“I think it’s tough to beat somebody three times in a row,” Langford said. “It’s hard depending on the caliber of the opponent. If the opponent is real talented, it’s that much more tough.
“What happened last year isn’t what’s going to help us beat them in the tournament this week. In my mind, they’re (Missouri) not my biggest rivals. Pretty much any team from Texas, to tell you truthfully.”
Sports writer Andy Samuelson contributed information for this story.
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