Q&A: Senior forward reflects on basketball career
Michael Carroll
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Senior forward Kevin Langford started 91 consecutive games for the Horned Frogs over the past three seasons. He finished his career ranked 14th in school history in points scored with 1,227. He now ranks sixth in school history in games started. He earned second team All-Mountain West Conference honors for his play this past season when he averaged 13.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest. Recently, Langford reflected on the end of the season, his time at the university and his future on the court.
Q: The team's season came to an end when it lost a heartbreaker to Utah in the Mountain West Conference Championships almost two weeks ago. Were you proud of the team's effort that game?
A: I was really proud of their effort. When I fouled out especially I told the guys just try to win the game for me so I could play one more game and they gave it their all. They all looked at me and said they would and they continued trying. I was really pleased with what they did.
Q: The team hit a wall after reaching first place in the conference in January. In your mind, what went wrong in the last dozen games of the season?
A: It was the inexperience of the team. We had a lot of youth and for a lot of guys it was their first year playing. It was just a matter of playing a whole season and the inexperience really got to us.
Q: What was your favorite moment of the season?
A: There were a lot of good moments. Just being a team on the road and hanging out with coach Christian and laughing with him and the assistant coaches. It was just a good year all around. Guys really bonded so there isn't just one moment that sticks out in my mind.
Q: Was it difficult transitioning to a new head coach and a new system this season?
A: At first it was. I was like, "Who is this guy?" He came in and made drastic changes. But then after a while I realized that he was the perfect coach for me. We got close and we have a great relationship right now. The only bad thing about coach is that I only had one year to play for him.
Q: How did things change when coach Christian came on board?
A: When he came on board he said we were going to re-establish a team and a program here. He put in team rules that really made the guys bond. He had us over to his house. There were just a lot of different things. When we had workouts and stuff they were pretty hard but we got used to them. He kind of came in and gave the team an identity.
Q: How do you see the team doing in the future under Christian's guidance?
A: I have a lot of faith in him. I think they'll be one of the top teams in the conference next year, if not win the conference. That's how much faith I have in the coaching staff and the players as well.
Q: There were a lot of newcomers on this year's squad. What do you think of the team's younger players?
A: I like the younger guys. They're good players, they just want to do good. They're so eager to learn and to and be good players too. They were thrown right into the fire because they had to play and they stepped up to the challenge, especially guys like Tuffy (Ronnie Moss) and Kevin Butler.
Q: Your run with the team has come to an end. How much did you enjoy your time as a Horned Frog and how much will you miss it?
A: I enjoyed it a lot. Coming here and playing back at home and being at a small campus and playing where a lot of people know you, I enjoyed it a lot. It is something I'm going to miss - my teammates and my coaches especially. But you've got to move on sometime so I'm going to try to move on.
Q: What does the future hold for Kevin Langford?
A: I'm looking to try to make it into an NBA camp and then if that doesn't work out I'm going to go overseas to play. I've had a few agents contact me but I haven't decided on one yet.
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