Langford shows way for MA
This season, he has harnessed his skills and varied his game so that he is effective from the outside as well as the low block. He has emerged this season seemingly out of nowhere to become one of the top players in the area.
With an area title hanging in the balance, Madison Academy forward Josh Langford was keenly aware of the role he needed to play against a formidable Randolph team in last week’s 57-48 victory. The 6-foot-4 eighth grader came through as he has all season by scoring a team high 23 points with 10 rebounds to help the sixth-ranked Mustangs get a big area win.
Now in his second year at Madison Academy, Langford transferred from Riverton Middle School for his seventh-grade year and sat out last season for eligibility.
“I just wanted to come into a better program, and this being a Christian school, it is a good fit for me,” Langford said.
This season, he has harnessed his skills and varied his game so that he is effective from the outside as well as the low block. He has emerged this season seemingly out of nowhere to become one of the top players in the area.
Through 21 games, he is shooting a hot 50 percent from the field and averaging 19.2 points per game. He has hit 10 three-point shots this season and is shooting 77 percent from the free throw line.
“I am in the gym every day working on my shot trying to get better,” Langford said. “I really work on my mid-range. If I can take that first dribble and get to the mid range spot at about 15-feet and knock that down it will take me a long way. I work on my three’s too. I’ve come a long way with my three point shot also.”
A long way is just where Langford appears to be headed. He is already getting letters from Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, and Auburn. He has already been offered by two universities and he is not through growing yet.
“The doctors said I should top out at 6-6,” said Langford who is the cousin of the Auburn forward by the same name Josh Langford, who played at Lee.
Both his parents played basketball at Buckhorn High School. His mother, Yolanda Leslie, was one of the most prolific scorers in girl’s basketball at Buckhorn.
Playing on the perimeter suits Langford just fine as he showed against Randolph. Madison Academy broke open a tie game at halftime and never trailed as Langford got hot and scored 14 in the second half.
Head coach Andy Blackston has come to depend on the 15-year old Langford to play the minutes needed to score in clutch situations as the Mustangs have played a schedule full of teams two and three classifications higher than their own 3A classification. The Mustangs do not have any seniors on the team and have still posted a 12-9 record through 21 games.
“He’s learning a lot. As an eighth grader playing on the varsity, he is getting a lot of things thrown at him and he’s doing a great job handling it,” Blackston said.
“He’s a very talented offensive player and he is trying to develop his whole game. He has made tremendous strides defensively. He played his most complete game tonight scoring 23 and doing a lot of the little things defensively, he really had a great game.”
Langford tried his hand at football this year playing for the middle school team. But he says that he is concentrating on basketball from here on out.
“We are a young team so we get to be together for the next two years,” said Langford. “I see a lot of great things out of this team. I really like it here. God put me here for a reason, it’s a great place.”
Langford showed skills not usually seen in middle school age players–an ability to score with the left hand, a must-have for college prospects. He converted two contested layups with the left hand in the second half against a long Randolph defense.
Madison Academy point guard Kerryon Johnson is enjoying playing with instead of against Langford.
“This is my first time playing with Josh and I’m relieved not having to guard him,” said Johnson who is a 6-foot-1 freshman. “He sees the floor extremely well. He draws attention and he can find the open man so we just have to catch and finish. He can draw two people he is that big that he can see out of the trap.”
Langford also showed a must-have skill for college prospects; the ability to go to the basket with both hands. He converted two contested layups with the left hand in the second half against a long Randolph defense.
“He can use both hands, he can finish with his left hand and that really helps,” said Johnson who knows a thing about basketball talent.
He comes from a family that produced one of Madison Academy’s all time great players. His brother Keron Johnson led Academy to a state championship in 2008 and is currently a point guard at Belmont University in Nashville.
Madison Academy defeated another area opponent New Hope 75-45 on Friday night Jan. 20 to clinch the 3A, area 14 title.
