MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2002
KANSAS BASKETBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 5B
Images of improvement play in Langford's head
By Ryan Greene rgreene@kansan.com Kansan sportswinter
He's not the kind of guy to come out and say it, but Keith Langford is coming into this season with a couple of chips on his shoulder.
Like everyone else returning from last year's Final Four team, Langford wants to take last year's success one step further and
Langford
But unlike most of his teammates, Langford is trying to bury the hatchet of being seen simply as a slasher who is only dangerous with his left hand and when driving down the lane.
"I've gained tremendously. I'm three times the player I was last year," Langford said. "Confidence carries a long way, and, mentally coming into this season, I'm a lot more prepared than last year."
Last season, Langford may have made his greatest contributions to the Jayhawks when his teammates needed him the most.
Among those times were his game-winning three-pointer at Nebraska in February, his 19 points against No.4 Arizona in December, and his career-high 20 points in the Midwest Regional Final against Oregon in March.
Every time Langford stepped onto the floor last season, he did it with a cool confidence he is again assuming this year in his new starting role. That confidence also helps aid the pressure of filling some rather big shoes, those belonging to former guard Jeff Boschee and former forward
"I've gained tremendously.I'm three times the player I was last year. Confidence carries a long way,and mentally coming into this season, I'm a lot more prepared than last year."
Keith Langford Kansas basketball guard
Drew Gooden.
"Well everybody's going to have to play better than they did last year," Langford said. "I mean that's 20 points and 10 rebounds that's gone, and Boschee's 3 or 4 threes a game are gone, so everybody's going to have to step up and do that much more. So I'm just going to do my part."
With fellow sophomores Aaron Miles and Wayne Simien, Langford was fortunate to be on a Final Four team in his freshman campaign. But Langford wants to quickly avenge the bitter taste of losing to Maryland in the National Semifinals.
"If we weren't on top, we'd be pushing to get there, so if you're already there, then why not maintain it," Langford said. "Getting to the Final Four this past season, obviously everyone expects us to get back."
With the loss of Gooden to the NBA Draft and Boschee to graduation, Langford was quick to take the initiative this offseason to better himself physically and help make up for the lost production.
This summer, he worked on getting stronger, increased his vertical a couple inches and put on about five pounds.
"I really worked on handling the ball a lot more, catching and shooting, being a complete player instead of just slashing to the basket." Langford said.
KEITH LANGFORD - #5
Guard
**Height:** 6-foot-4-inches
**Weight:** 205 pounds
**Hometown:** Fort Worth, Texas
Sophomore
Langford's Career Highs
Points: 20 vs. Oregon, March 24, 2002
Rebounds: 8 vs. Oregon, March 24.2002
Field Goals: 7 vs. Arizona, Dec.
1.2002
Field Goal Attempts: 11 vs.
Arizona, Dec. 1, 2001
Three-Point Field Goals: 2 vs Texas Tech, March 9, 2002
Three-Point Attempts: 3 vs UCLA, Jan. 12, 2002
Free Throws: 8 vs. Oregon, March 24, 2002
February 24, 2002
Free Throw Attempts: 9, twice
Assists: 5 vs. Pittsburg State,
Nov. 28, 2001
Steals: 3, twice
Blocked Shots: 2 vs. Holy Cross
March 14, 2002
Minutes Played: 31 vs. Holy
Cross, March 14, 2002
for the sophomore guard, last season started with a peep, and ended up with a bang by averaging 10.8 points per game in the NCAA Tournament and being named to the NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament team. Langford wants to turn last spring's bang into a sonic boom this year.
"I think those last couple of games were real good for me, but I just want to go off of those two games, and I want to show that those two games weren't a fluke." Langford said. "I feel like I could have played even better in those two games, so I just want to be able to play like that continuously throughout the whole year."
— Edited by Amy Schmitz
By Jessica Tims
jtims@kansan.com
Kansan associate sports editor
Kansas native Simien could fill Drew's shoes
This season, sophomore Wayne Simien is expected to do something many boys growing up in Kansas only dream about
— step onto James Naismith court in Allen Fieldhouse as one of Rov Williams' starting five.
Simien. a 6-
Simien, a6-foot-9 forward from Leavenworth, is expected to replace former Jayhawk Drew Gooden as one of the team's two player.
"Last year I went in knowing that I'd just be a role player, but this year I'm going in as one of the main guys," he said. "It's still going to be Kirk (Hinrich) and Nick (Collison)'s show, but my role is definitely going to change drastically."
Simien said although Gooden, now with the Memphis Grizzlies, would be impossible to replace, he was ready for the challenge.
Simien
Williams has said Simien would have the opportunity to step forward as a team leader. He said his average of 8.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 15.3 minutes of action last season proved he could likely fill the void left by Gooden.
"Nick and Kirk know that they're going to be asked to shoot more, but Wayne's going to be expected to do more." Williams said. "That's not a burden, that's a tremendous opportunity for him. He's healthier than he's ever been. He's taken that weight and redistributed it. He's a powerful young man."
Simien spent the summer preparing for his new role by attending camps and working out individually and with his
"Last year I went in knowing that I'd just be a role player, but this year I'm going in as one of the main guys. It's still going to be Kirk and Nick's show, but my role is definitely going to change drastically."
high school coach. Larry Hogan Simien is listed at 255 pounds and is carrying more muscle than last year. He said he added the extra weight to help him become a stronger competitor down low.
"I'm carrying a lot more weight this season because I'm going to play a lot more minutes," he said. "People are saying we might not be as deep and if that happens I wanted to come in as physically prepared as I could."
Wayne Simien Kansas basketball forward
After sitting out the first five games of last season because of arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Simien saw action in Kansas' final 32 games. He said the experience he gained in those games, subbing for Gooden and Collison, would help him become a major contributor to the 2003-2004 squad.
"Being able to play behind Drew and Nick last year really helped me," he said. "Learning a lot from those guys, I think that's really going to help me this year, stepping up and playing more of a role and contribute a lot more than just a few minutes or when someone got in foul trouble or was tired. I think that's really going to help me a lot."
Collison said he thought Simien could take over for
WAYNE SIMIEN - #23
Sophomore
Forward
**Height:** 6-foot-9inches
**Weight:** 255 pounds
**Hometown:** Leavenworth
Simien's Career Highs
Points: 17 vs. Texas, Feb. 11, 2002
Dec. 4, 2001
Field Goals: 7, twice
Field Goal Attempts: 11 vs.
Colorado, March 8, 2002
Three-Point Field Goals: None
Three-Point Attempts: None
Free Throws: 8 vs. Kansas
State, Feb. 27, 2002
Rebounds: 11 vs. Wake Forest,
Dec. 4, 2001
Free Throw Attempts: 9 vs. Nebraska, Jan. 9, 2002
Assists: 2 vs. Colorado March
8, 2002
Steals: 2. five times
Blocked Shots: 4 vs. Kansas
State, Feb. 27, 2002
Minutes Played: 24 vs. Illinois March 22, 2002
Gooden, but the transition would take some getting used to.
"I think Wayne is a really good player. He is a lot different than Drew is," Collison said. "We are all three different players, so we will find a way to get it done. I don't see any problem at all playing with Wayne. We will get to the point by mid-season that we are really comfortable playing with each other."
Simien said he knew what he had to do to make an impression on the team this season. Consistency as a player, he said, was his top priority.
"Last year I would have a really good game and then a couple games down the road you might not notice I was out there," he said. "I'm just trying to work on that, going back to the fundamentals and small things."
— Edited by Lauren Beatty