Keith Langford Named to USA Pan American Team
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Former Kansas standout guard Keith Langford has been named one of 12 players to the 2015 U.S. Pan American Men’s Basketball Team official roster which will compete in the Pan American Games, July 21-25, in Toronto, Canada, USA Basketball announced Sunday.
Langford was one of 22 players invited to attend USA Basketball training for the 2015 U.S. Pan American Men’s Basketball Team on June 29 and was named one of 16 finalists on July 9. The U.S. team is coached coach Mark Few of Gonzaga with former KU men’s basketball player and current Colorado head coach Tad Boyle and longtime NBA coach Mike Brown serving as assistants.
A fan favorite known for his clutch shooting and monster dunks, Langford ranks seventh on Kansas’ all-time scoring list with 1,812 points during his KU career from 2002-05. While at KU, the Fort Worth, Texas, native won three Big 12 Conference regular-season titles and competed in two Final Fours in 2002 and 2003. A 2004 All-Big 12 Second Team selection, Langford was named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament team in both 2002 and 2003 and the Final Four all-tourney team in 2003.
Currently a member of Unics Kazan, a top professional team in Russia, following graduation in 2005 from KU, Langford gained NBA experience with the San Antonio Spurs in 2007-08. He then played professionally in Moscow for Khimki where he was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2009 Euro Challenge Final Four. Prior to Unics, Langford played professional basketball for EA7 Armani (Italy), Maccabi T-A (Israel), Khimky (Russia), Granarolo BO (Italy) and Angelico BI (Italy).
Langford is the sixth Jayhawk to compete for the United States in the Pan American Games and the first since Danny Manning won a bronze medal at the 1987 Games prior to his senior season at KU. Two Jayhawks, Melvin Kelley and Robert Kenney were members of the 1955 gold medal team, while upcoming Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jo Jo White won Pan Am gold in 1967. In 1975, KU’s Norm Cook also won gold for the U.S.
The Pan American Games, which began in 1951 for men and 1966 for women, are held every four years in the year preceding the Olympics and are organized by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO). The Pan American Games is a multi-sport competition open to men and women representing countries from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean. Historically, the Americans have earned eight gold, three silver and two bronze medals, and compiled a record of 87-15 at the Pan American Games.
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