Fansided

Romeo Langford gives Indiana a star to build around

ByRucker Haringey|
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - April 08: Romeo Langford #9 New Albany HS, New Albany, IN drives to the basket defended by Javonte Smart #3 Scotlandville Magnet HS, Barton Rouge, LA during the Jordan Brand Classic, National Boys Teams All-Star basketball game. The Jordan Brand Classic showcases the best male and female high school basketball players who compete in the exhibition games at the The Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York on April 08, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - April 08: Romeo Langford #9 New Albany HS, New Albany, IN drives to the basket defended by Javonte Smart #3 Scotlandville Magnet HS, Barton Rouge, LA during the Jordan Brand Classic, National Boys Teams All-Star basketball game. The Jordan Brand Classic showcases the best male and female high school basketball players who compete in the exhibition games at the The Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York on April 08, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Romeo Langford is a huge get for the Hoosiers.

Indiana basketball has a reason to dream again. Archie Miller’s successful recruitment of Romeo Langford will give the Hoosiers a legitimate star to build around. More importantly, it will serve as an announcement to other recruits that Indiana should be a legitimate option once again.

Langford ultimately selected the Hoosiers over other finalists Vanderbilt and Kentucky. His recruitment featured lots of twists and turns over the past several months, but ultimately the allure of the hometown school was just too much to pass up. ESPN’s No. 1 ranked shooting guard averaged over 35 ppg for New Albany High in Indiana.

The last time Indiana signed a player rated this highly was when Kelvin Sampson inked Eric Gordon way back in 2007. Langford’s decision clearly signals a new day in Bloomington. The long, painful tenure of Tom Crean is over., and it’s safe for Hoosier fans to place their hope in the program once again.

On the court, Langford projects to be an immediate star for Indiana. Miller already had a solid class in place, but it lacked a true star. Langford’s decision changes that in an instant. Now he can carry the scoring load for the entire class. In fact, it’s very likely he’ll carry the scoring load for the entire team as soon as he steps on campus.

Adding the potential lottery pick will significantly raise expectations for Indiana next season. Before Langford’s decision, not many people would have picked Indiana as an NCAA Tournament team in the preseason. Adding Langford to the mix will certainly place the Hoosiers in most people’s preseason brackets. In fact, Indiana fans will legitimately start to think about making a run with the freshman sensation at the helm.

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The only downside to Langford is the large possibility that he’ll be a one and done player in Bloomington. That’s a risk Miller had to take, though. Signing the state’s top ranked player since 2007 is a crucial step in rebuilding the program’s cache with recruits. Romeo Langford gives Archie Miller a star to build his team and program around.