14B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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BASKETBALL
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 5.2004
Kansan file photo
Keith Langford's ability to slash and drive to the basket, along with his honest interviews, have made the senior a fan favorite. Langford has been named to three NCAA All-Tournament teams and was picked to this year's preseason All-Big 12 team.
Langford keeps it real
Senior's words, play spark plenty of interest
BY JESSE NEWELL
jnewell@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWINTER
Controversial.
Keith Langford thinks about the word for a second, then smiles. If nothing else, the senior guard knows what he is.
"I say the stuff that everybody knows, but they don't want to hear," Langford said. "I hate clichés. I hate fake stuff. I try to tell it how I see it. If people don't like that, I really don't want to say what I do. If people don't like me, they can shove it."
And he's not afraid to share it with anyone.
Langford, with his ability to penetrate and score quickly, has also been known to spark his teammates on the court.
Agree or disagree, like him or not, Langford definitely keeps it real.
"I enjoy being around Keith because he speaks his mind," said senior teammate Mike Lee. "He likes to throw more flame in the fire. He wants to spark controversy."
His average of 15.5 points a game last season was second most on the team, helping him earn a spot on the Big 12's preseason first team.
But coach Bill Self said his emotional style of play might be even more important than his scoring ability.
"I think he's as important as anybody is to this team because he could be our biggest energy giver." Self said. "We could feed off of him more so than anybody else from an energy standpoint. I think he's got a lot of responsibility on his shoulders that hopefully he's willing to accept and wants to accent."
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Langford originally played
"What if. Those two
words really kill you because you think, 'If I could have played a couple more minutes.'
Keith Langford Senior guard
football, but after breaking his foot at a young age he decided basketball would be best for him.
Not only has the sport allowed him to participate in two Final Fours at Kansas, it has given him the opportunity to further his education.
The switch turned out to be one of the best choices he could have made.
"I probably wouldn't have gotten to go to college if I hadn't gotten a scholarship," Langford said. "I had a lot of incentive in trying to get better and make my way to this point."
Langford originally committed to Mississippi during his senior season of high school, but reopened his recruiting and chose Kansas over Cincinnati and Oklahoma.
Langford said he had definite pressures when deciding on a school.
"When I came on a visit here, the day we were leaving, my mom told me I was coming here and I didn't have a choice," Langford said. "There's no telling what decision I would have made."
The last two seasons have come to a frustrating end for Langford.
He has fouled out of Kansas' last two NCAA tournament
losses — both in overtime last season against Georgia Tech in the Elite Eight and in the second half of the 2003 national championship game against Syracuse.
Recovering in the offseason from an injured knee, Langford will look to avoid both injuries and fouls to finish the games he starts this season.
"What if," Langford said. "Those two words really kill you because you think, 'If I could have played a couple more minutes.'"
Kansas players know how good of a player he can be, especially on the practice court.
"He's the most dominant scorer from his position that I can remember having to guard, and being able to do this, I've been fortunate to guard some good players," said junior guard Stephen Vinson. "He's the type of player when his mind's right and his body's right, he can score any time he wants to."
While at Kansas, Langford has tended to save his best play for the last part of the season.
The senior has been named to three NCAA all-tournament teams, averaging 14.4 points in NCAA Tournament play.
Langford said he played at his best in the tournament because he viewed pressure in a different way.
"You have to look at it as a positive thing," Langford said. "If you look at it bad, you're going to come out and not perform as well because you think not everybody is going to like you. You can't worry about what other people say."
— Edited by Stephanie Lovett