The entire recruiting scene within youth sports is so incredibly chaotic and hectic that many people choose to ignore it. For these student-athletes, they aren’t awarded with the same opportunity, as they find themselves directly in the middle of it all. Each year, hundreds of kids transfer from one college to another, in hopes to speed through their process. Meanwhile, Keyshaun and Kobe Langley have done literally everything right that a pair of young men can do in youth basketball, yet still don’t receive proper respect.
If it’s been said once, it’s been said a thousand times: these guys win at every single level, so why are we supposed to think that’ll change in college' The answer: we shouldn’t. In one national setting after the next, we’ve seen the Langley duo dominate a vast array of “high-level” prospects. On the EYBL, these guys have emerged as two of the best on-ball defenders in the country, with an incredibly high steal rate to match, but because they are 6-feet instead of 6-foot-5, teams approach with apprehension. Over a year ago, these two accepted a scholarship to advance their student-athlete career at a strong program, but one that they would still have great success at. After a perplexing situation by the staff, the Langley’s turned back to the various other avenues in search of a home. Let’s take a quick look at each of these guys…
They are both interchangeable guards, but Keyshaun is more of a “true” point guard and can usually be found with the ball. Offensively, he is fairly conservative, picking and choosing his spots, but never forcing the action. Keyshaun scores the ball efficiently from all three levels, but his three-point shot remains his most reliable scoring avenue. He makes great decisions with the ball and shows a constant willingness to make plays for others, both in transition or the half court sets. His quick first step allows him to get into the paint and make plays in tight spaces quite often. Keyshaun was invited to the NBPA Top 100 Camp and actually broke out as one of the top defensive players, regardless of position.
One could argue that Kobe would’ve also jumped off the page defensively in the same setting, given his well-documented gifts on that end of the floor. These two are very similar, but there is a massive difference is explosiveness, which is where Kobe claims the crown. He can score on all three levels, but Kobe is much more efficient with his “between-game” and array of crafty finishes/dunks at the rim than his three-point stroke. These two truly complement each other so well, on both ends of the floor.
Obviously, they are relatively close in size, which is where most of the problems come into play at the next level. Many coaches don’t believe that they can coexist on defense together, which honestly just seems foolish, since that is where they’ve built their foundation on the hardwood. It would still be incredibly wise to package these guys and let the results fall where they may. Anyone who has seen the progression and ascension of these two know that this trend will carry over to the Division I level. They secured a state championship two seasons ago, transferred to a new program, and then returned to another title game with completely different teammates, in all less than a calendar year. So just imagine what they could do for a team at the next level.