Sun Devils pursue coveted junior college forward
It’s not rare for junior college prospects such as Langston Wilson to have over 30 offers, but what is uncommon is the fact that he has no high school film to show as a prospect who is now pursued by dozens of high major programs coast to coast, including ASU.
“Recruiting is well with Arizona State,” Wilson said. “It’s a really good school, and it’s in a really good conference. Coach (Rashon) Burno is recruiting me, and he’s a cool, down to earth kind of guy. He really just keeps it a 100 with me. He shows that he cares for your well-being and wants you to succeed and whether that’s at Arizona State or anywhere else, he really wants to see people succeed.”
Limited AAU tournament exposure did land him at Rome (Ga.) Georgia Highlands College, where he averaged 10 points and eight rebounds as a freshman and the secret was out as his recruiting attention took off from there. Wilson says he tries to model his game as a “mix of Derrick Jones and Brandon Ingram.”
“Coach Burno sees me as someone at the forward spot that can do multiple things,” Wilson described. “a player that can knock down shots, handle the ball and make plays as well. I’m a big energy guy, extremely athletic, that can do a lot of different things, kind of like a Swiss Army knife.
“Before I get to college, I more or less want to work everything about my game. I really want to put on a lot of weight, but not too much, so I can get to my goal weight, which is around 215. I want to work on my ball-handling, become a more consistent shooter, and just a better overall defender.”
Personal reasons, according to Wilson, prevented him from playing organized basketball and naturally hindered any offers being extended to him at the time. A challenging situation became the ultimate motivator. Wilson’s work ethic and God-given abilities have ultimately seen dozens of programs in hard pursuit for his services.
“I always play with a chip on my shoulder,” Wilson admitted. “100 percent. I never really worried about not getting offers (out of high school) or anything like that. I came in last season and just wanted to play ball. I had a pretty good first season, and through that, I got some pretty good film to show schools, and the rest is history.”
Wilson said that he’s still in the early stages of learning about the Arizona State program in general and the legacy of its head coach Bobby Hurley in particular. Nonetheless, there have been some aspects of the team that have stood out so far.
“I like their style of play,” Wilson stated. “They play a really up and down, fast paced brand of basketball. They get out in transition and have a lot of players that are versatile at the forward position, so that’s always great. Academically I’ve heard that they’re a good school and graduate their players. Location wise, I’ve never been to the West Coast, so I really don’t know that much about it, not being able to take visits.”
The forward admitted that it’s been hard to come up with a short list with the plethora of offers he has, and thus he sees his recruitment as wide open at this stage.
“I’m looking for a school that will be in a strong environment with a coaching staff that wants the best for me,” Wilson commented, “not only on the basketball court but off the court too. I want to go somewhere where I know that when I graduate, I feel like I not only accomplished things on the court but also in the community. I want to go to a school where I can go and not only grow as a player but grow as a man.”
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(Jesse Morrison contributed to this article)
