When Madison Academy (Ala.) head basketball coach Andy Blackston saw a then-7th grade Joshua Langford come to his school for the first time and pick up a basketball, that’s when he knew.
For Tellus Langford, it was when he saw his son win the Alabama 3A player of the year as an 8th grader on the Madison Academy varsity basketball team. That’s when he knew.
Eventually, just about everyone in Joshua Langford’s life knew one thing was for certain — he would one day blossom into a big time Division 1 college basketball player.
And on the evening of Sunday, June 21, Joshua Langford made everyone’s expectations a reality, as the five-star basketball recruit became MSU head basketball coach Tom Izzo’s second commitment in the 2016 class.
“It’s a big stress reliever,” Joshua Langford said of finally being done with the whole recruiting process. He chose MSU over the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Duke and Florida, to name a few. Ultimately, though, he said it was the close-knit sense of belonging which made him feel right at home in the visits he took to East Lansing.
“The first thing that I really liked about (MSU) was the family atmosphere,” Joshua Langford said. “When I got down there, everybody is a big family. The team is going everywhere together … and they’re not leaving one person out. Even Steve Smith, Mateen Cleaves and Gary Harris, all those guys are always coming back. Once you’re a Spartan, you’re never not going to be a part of it.”
And while both Joshua Langford and his father were, no doubt, also impressed by the athletic facilities of MSU and other schools, Tellus Langford said it was the people at MSU which set the university above the rest.
“It’s the people inside of those facilities that I think Michigan State truly depicts a family atmosphere that I want my son to be a part of,” Tellus Langford said. “Not only for my son, but for a parent, to have a family atmosphere as well.”
More than a basketball player
There’s no questioning Langford’s talent. As a junior in high school in 2015, the 6-foot-6 guard averaged 24.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, all the while leading Madison Academy to the Alabama Class 3A state championship for the second time in three years. After his commitment to MSU, Langford’s all-around type of play has begun to draw comparisons to MSU senior basketball player Denzel Valentine.
“He’s gotten better every year,” Blackston said. “He continues to add different dimensions to his game and he’s very focused on being the best player he can be … whenever you have that kind of combination of a physical drive and talent ... I think everybody knew from day one he was going to be one of the top recruits in his class.”
But through all the state championships, post-season accolades and recruiting hype, those around Langford will all attest to the fact that, in Langford, MSU is getting much more than a basketball player.
“I think Josh has worked really hard at being a well-rounded person,” Blackston said. “I do think he understands the concept of being more than a basketball player … and I think that’s what drew him to MSU, was the family atmosphere and the loyalty of Coach Izzo.”
Not only is Langford a leader on the basketball court, Blackston said, but he’s also leader in numerous other aspects of his life. Blackston said Langford is always finding time to mentor younger kids.
In serving as that type of role model, Langford also takes the academic side of things very seriously at Madison Academy. While Langford said he doesn’t have his mind set in stone as to what he wants to study at MSU yet, he has expressed interest in getting into either physical therapy or journalism.
In addition to this, Langford is also very active in his church, where every third Sunday he speaks in front of the congregation. And in the end of it all, Langford said it’s all about making himself as best a person as he can.
“Basketball is just something I do. It’s not who I am,” Langford said. “I just try to, off the court, be the best person I can and, on the court, be the best basketball player I can.”
It’s this kind of attitude that has Blackston confident Langford will be successful wherever he goes, which includes MSU.
“I think (Joshua) understands he has a responsibility to represent the community, the fans and his school,” Blackston said. “He’s done a wonderful job with that for us at Madison Academy.”
For Tellus Langford, who played a huge role in the recruiting process by acting as a buffer between his son and a bulk of the schools who recruited him, he said he’s 110 percent behind Joshua’s commitment to MSU.
As for seeing the type of young man his son has become, Tellus Langford said he’s simply tried to raise Joshua Langford the way he was raised. Though, at the end of the day, he said he can’t take full credit for all his son has become.
“I always wanted my children to be good people more than just good athletes,” Tellus Langford said. “I can kind of instill in Joshua the values and characteristics that my mom instilled in me … he’s just been a great child and I really just can’t take credit for how good of a person he is. I think God has touched his life all over, athletically and character-wise.”
Joshua Langford is also quick to point out another part of his life which has helped him grow, and that’s his experience throughout the years at Madison Academy.
“It’s been great,” Joshua Langford said. “(Blackston) has been coaching me for a long time and I’ve learned a lot from him about preparation and learning how to take the game seriously off the court as well as on the court. It’s just been a great experience with the Christian environment there as well. It’s been good for me. I feel like I’ve grown spiritually.”
With his recruitment finally over, Joshua Langford now heads into his final year at Madison Academy. His high school career is already remarkable, but there’s still one goal left for him to accomplish.
“Win another state championship,” he said.
