The 2020-21 college basketball season is right around the corner and for Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans, it could be a special season as one of their leaders is back.
On Wednesday, Spartans' head coach Izzo made the announcement not only that Joshua Langford is back but that he will be in the starting lineup when the season tips off.
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“I guess I’m gonna finally say it: Josh Langford, heaven forbid, but I think he’s about as close to back to 100% as he can be,” Izzo said Wednesday. “So I’m not gonna hide behind it anymore. I told him I gotta start putting pressure on him now, and I feel good about it. Him and I had a good talk (Tuesday) night.
“Josh in that starting rotation, to think of two years ago when he thought basketball was done, to where he is right now, is just an incredible, incredible compliment to the doctors, to my trainer Nick (Richey), strength coach (Marshall Repp) and maybe most of all by far is Josh. It’s been an incredible journey, and yet he’s been really solid.”
In late October, Langford spoke to the media and said he was still trying to catch up in terms of the speed of the game.
“I feel great,” Langford said. “I think right now, for me, it’s just getting back into that process of playing. Allowing my mind to catch up with my body. My skill is there, but it’s still some things that I have to get used to doing. Just getting caught up with the pace of the game and so many other things that I didn’t necessarily think about before I actually got on the court.
“The first practice, you can ask everybody, I was a little bit of everywhere because I was so excited to be out there. I think for me right now it’s just getting used to that process and just taking my time each day.”
The Spartans have not released an official schedule yet but the season is expected to tip off on Nov. 25.
Nation, what is the ceiling for the Spartans?