It’s been said that the greatest athletes in the world play basketball. Maybe that’s why Ali Langford took up the sport. The athletically gifted sophomore out of Salt Lake City, Utah, has been an Allan Hancock College Bulldog for only 10 weeks, but he’s already made quite an impact. Langford has been named a team captain and has locals buzzing about his most recent performance.
The Bulldogs recently played in the Fresno Community College basketball tournament in Fresno. They lost two close games, but their star center had two huge games, which included an impressive 16-point, 14-rebound effort against Clarke College, followed by an astonishing 32-point, 14-rebound, and five-steal explosion against Feather River.
The stat line is no fluke. The Bulldogs have themselves a double-double machine.
“Ali is completely dominant at both ends,” head basketball coach Ralph Gorton said. “Everything is going through Ali.”
When other squads decide to full court press the Bulldogs, as they did at the tournament, Coach Gorton believes they’re playing right into Langford’s hands. Other big men just can’t keep up with him; there’s too much athleticism. Langford himself has no preference.
“Either-or,” he said. “I’m familiar with the fast tempo game.”
Despite his amazing skill set, things haven’t always gone smoothly for Langford on the court. Just 11 months ago, he left Western Wyoming Junior College after a brief stint.
“I got injured,” he said. “Tore ligaments in my knee, was home by Christmas.”
Don’t worry, Bulldog fans, Langford has fully recovered and is expected to put up impressive numbers all season long. That’s what happens when you combine talent with a strong work ethic. Langford’s hard work is already paying off.
This article appears in Nov 25 – Dec 2, 2010.
