Josh Langford good enough to lose his game and find it amid a wild comeback (photos, video) (Jeff Sentell)

  • 03/02 - 11:00 AM Boys BasketballFinal
    Southside-Selma 47
    Madison Academy 54
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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- When Josh Langford walked off the BJCC floor at halftime, he was a freshman lost amid the lights at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena.

Was this the same 16-year-old who had scholarship offers from Alabama and Auburn before his 8th grade season at Madison Academy?

Wasn't this the same No. 23  who delivered 30 points and 16 rebounds to chop down two-time defending 3A champion Greensboro and 6-foot-10 Alabama signee Jimmie Taylor on Wednesday?

The answers: No and No. Southside-Selma was up 27-14. Langford’s inefficiency was a big reason why.

The 6-foot-4 freshman missed 13 of his 15 shots. He had five turnovers. His face gave away frustration, but it was more like exasperation.

Some think he's already the best player in the state. Huh? This guy? Langford missed after slashes to the basket from two feet. His coach Andy Blackston saw him miss shots he hadn’t all season.

College football gave its Heisman Trophy to a freshman in Johnny Manziell this season. Could the Alabama Sports Writers Association also give it to the talented freshman from Madison Academy?

Langford was playing his way out of contention for any of that.

For more photos from the game, please visit Mark Almond's gallery on AL.com

The sport's highest individual player honor takes into account an entire season. Body of work means as much as any one game. But, to be honest, games played on the Final 48 stage can only spur a player’s candidacy.

Langford took the floor with the words “Eat and “Time” inscribed on his shoes. It’s a play on being hungry amid every moment on the floor. If that was the case, he was starving.

That would not continue. When the Mustangs returned to the floor after halftime, Langford was the first Madison Academy player to hit the court. And of course, the Mustangs rallied for a 54-47 victory and the fifth state championship for the boys at that school.

Madison Academy rallied from as many as 17 points down with 3:44 left in the third quarter. The Mustangs cut it to 35-30 by the end of that quarter.

Langford was at the core of the rally. He had a freshman first half, but a Mr. Basketball sort of finish. It was the sort of star turn that wowed the crowd in the semifinals against Greensboro.

But it wasn’t a show as much as a grind. Langford is perhaps the most talented player in Alabama already and he woke out of a funk that normally sinks any senior.

He woke up. Langford made one basket, added two free throws and ribbed two five rebounds. He delivered another two splendid assists and also had two turnovers.

“When we went back in the locker room I had my teammates telling me I don’t have to prove anything,” he said. “They said “I’m good’ and “I was OK” and I think my teammates played a big part in me not getting frustrated and coming back into the second half to try and lead my team to win a game.”

Madison Academy-Southside highlights

The freshman didn’t wear a cape, but the best word to describe his impact on a team missing two of its other top talents due to injuries wasn’t super or even special.

It was perpetual.

Langford just never stopped trying to find his missing game.  Blackston kept telling him to play the next play after forget about what he didn’t do.

“Eventually this kid is so talented he’s going to find a way to get on track,” Blackston said. “That’s a sign of a great player by the way. They can get it back in the same game. If it goes bad, some players they are just done for the rest of the game. They can’t get it back. They have to wait for the next game. That’s what separates Josh. He found a way to get it back and not only make some big baskets but make great passes drawing in a lot of people and these kids are making plays off of that. That’s the sign I think of a great player that can lead their team to victory.”

Langford finished with 21 points and 19 rebounds with six assists and two blocked shots. He altered several more. Despite missing 17 of his 22 shots, he sunk 11 of his 16 free throws. He made 5 of 6 his first 6 at the line in a tight fourth quarter.

He probably can win Mr. Basketball this season. He probably won the first of his four state championships at Madison Academy if he remains there all four seasons.

“I want to win four,” Langford said. “That’s a goal. That’s a good goal because it is a team goal.”

Langford hears the cries of he’s good because he’s so old. He did repeat the seventh grade at Madison Academy, but did not play basketball. Some refer to it as a redshirt season for a great hoops player.

That should take nothing away from his worth as a player. Langford is 16 years old. He won’t be 17 until next January. If he’s a junior or a senior, he still just performed in back-to-back games as well as any player in Alabama can this season.

What’s his best skill? Blackston thinks it’s his passing ability. He’s probably right. When coaches say that, it can be easy to swallow because it’s easy for a fantastic scorer to be a great passer with everyone collapsing down on his every move. Lots of guys are open.

Langford’s skills go beyond that line of thinking. He made a pass on the break that Wenonah’s Justin Coleman would take for his highlight reel. Coleman sure looks like the best passer in the state given his skill and showmanship, but Langford is on his level.

The Madison Academy freshman can also grab 35 rebounds in two Final 48 games and totally lose his game, but find it again in a wild comeback victory.

He’s just a freshman. Oh my. What will he look like as a senior? How many Mr. Basketball awards will he have by then?

Langford could very well have four of those, too.

Madison Academy postgame quotes

Jeff Sentell covers Birmingham high school sports for The Alabama Media Group and The Birmingham News. Write to him at jsentell@al.com.

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