From ESPN six days ago: Ignore the draft projection as an argument, what do you think of the analysis of Romeo's game and how it might be impacting IU now if it's accurate?
Romeo Langford cracks the top five
Top 100 ranking: No. 5
Few players in this draft class score with the ease of Romeo Langford, and his three-level attack combined with his excellent physical profile has him in the top five now. Last Friday, we were in College Park to watch the 19-year-old Indiana freshman torch Maryland from all over the court for 28 points on only 14 shots, splashing deep 3s, slithering to the rim and finishing with both power and finesse.
Over his past five games, Langford is averaging an impressive 21.2 points in 34.4 minutes with a tremendous 66.0 true shooting percentage despite a still-developing 3-ball. Although he's quiet on the floor and has turned off scouts with his body language at times, Langford has really been the model of consistency, scoring 15 points or more in 15 of 17 games. At 6-foot-6 with a strong 215-pound frame and a 6-11 wingspan, Langford is a load to keep out of the paint. He loves to rip baseline from the wing, getting low to the ground and converting a remarkable 78.5 percent of his shots at the rim in the half court, which ranks first among Division I players with over 60 attempts, per Synergy. Although he is right-hand dominant, he can score out of wing isolations or pick-and-roll, using his impressive body control, long strides and deceptive burst to get to the rim or pull up in midrange spots.
Langford also seems to have bought in defensively. He's sitting in a stance on the ball, staying down on fakes and working to contest. Off the ball he has been fairly active as well, occasionally digging down on the post or rotating from the weak side. He still has a way to go in terms of his consistency, but he has been better than advertised with the tools to check positions 1 through 3 at the next level.
But there are legitimate questions as to how much Langford helps a team win with his style of play, as well as how he'll fit in with other ball handlers. The team that drafts Langford has to feel comfortable saying, "Here's the ball, you're our primary shot-creator moving forward." Langford offers little to nothing off the ball. He's not the most active cutter, and he's quite uncomfortable shooting off the catch, regularly turning down spot-ups to play catch-and-hold basketball. Langford ranks in the 22nd percentile on catch-and-shoot jumpers, and he has untraditional mechanics with the ball cocked back, often hitting his forehead before he gets into his release.
Langford is a bit of a one-trick pony offensively, with a shaky jump shot to boot. Given his ball-dominant style of play, Langford draws some comparisons to a DeMar Derozan type. He might never be a knockdown shooter off the catch, and given the fact that his on-ball scoring is one of his best attributes, Langford -- like DeRozan has -- would be wise to really start honing in on becoming a better facilitator. He can make basic reads, but Langford isn't the easiest guy to play with, and the fact that he's so quiet on the court doesn't help his case as a lead guard.
As long as a team either believes it can turn Langford into a better on-ball facilitator or a more active and effective off-ball player, he could easily hear his name called in the top five come June. He's really turning in a consistent season.
Slow-motion look at Romeo Langford's shooting mechanics. He's connected on only 12-of-53 triples (22.6%) so far this season and is a career 27.5% 3-point shooter on 247 attempts according to our database. 75% from the FT line on 328 attempts. Has natural touch.
Romeo Langford cracks the top five
Top 100 ranking: No. 5
Few players in this draft class score with the ease of Romeo Langford, and his three-level attack combined with his excellent physical profile has him in the top five now. Last Friday, we were in College Park to watch the 19-year-old Indiana freshman torch Maryland from all over the court for 28 points on only 14 shots, splashing deep 3s, slithering to the rim and finishing with both power and finesse.
Over his past five games, Langford is averaging an impressive 21.2 points in 34.4 minutes with a tremendous 66.0 true shooting percentage despite a still-developing 3-ball. Although he's quiet on the floor and has turned off scouts with his body language at times, Langford has really been the model of consistency, scoring 15 points or more in 15 of 17 games. At 6-foot-6 with a strong 215-pound frame and a 6-11 wingspan, Langford is a load to keep out of the paint. He loves to rip baseline from the wing, getting low to the ground and converting a remarkable 78.5 percent of his shots at the rim in the half court, which ranks first among Division I players with over 60 attempts, per Synergy. Although he is right-hand dominant, he can score out of wing isolations or pick-and-roll, using his impressive body control, long strides and deceptive burst to get to the rim or pull up in midrange spots.
Langford also seems to have bought in defensively. He's sitting in a stance on the ball, staying down on fakes and working to contest. Off the ball he has been fairly active as well, occasionally digging down on the post or rotating from the weak side. He still has a way to go in terms of his consistency, but he has been better than advertised with the tools to check positions 1 through 3 at the next level.
But there are legitimate questions as to how much Langford helps a team win with his style of play, as well as how he'll fit in with other ball handlers. The team that drafts Langford has to feel comfortable saying, "Here's the ball, you're our primary shot-creator moving forward." Langford offers little to nothing off the ball. He's not the most active cutter, and he's quite uncomfortable shooting off the catch, regularly turning down spot-ups to play catch-and-hold basketball. Langford ranks in the 22nd percentile on catch-and-shoot jumpers, and he has untraditional mechanics with the ball cocked back, often hitting his forehead before he gets into his release.
Langford is a bit of a one-trick pony offensively, with a shaky jump shot to boot. Given his ball-dominant style of play, Langford draws some comparisons to a DeMar Derozan type. He might never be a knockdown shooter off the catch, and given the fact that his on-ball scoring is one of his best attributes, Langford -- like DeRozan has -- would be wise to really start honing in on becoming a better facilitator. He can make basic reads, but Langford isn't the easiest guy to play with, and the fact that he's so quiet on the court doesn't help his case as a lead guard.
As long as a team either believes it can turn Langford into a better on-ball facilitator or a more active and effective off-ball player, he could easily hear his name called in the top five come June. He's really turning in a consistent season.
Slow-motion look at Romeo Langford's shooting mechanics. He's connected on only 12-of-53 triples (22.6%) so far this season and is a career 27.5% 3-point shooter on 247 attempts according to our database. 75% from the FT line on 328 attempts. Has natural touch.
