Michigan State Basketball: Josh Langford will have expanded role in 2018-19

Josh Langford has been labeled an expert in long jumpers inside the arc, but is that a good thing? Entering his junior season, his offensive role will only get bigger.

Josh Langford started the 2017-18 season looking like a new player. He looked like a potent offensive player that gained some confidence in the offseason. It turned out that he only gained confidence against inferior competition in non-conference play.

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Last season, Langford scored double digits in 11-of-15 non-conference games, the NCAA tournament included. Remove the Duke and Syracuse losses and Langford reached double digits in 11-of-13 non-conference games. In 20 Big Ten games, Langford managed double digits in only eight.

A year ago I wrote about Langford’s importance to the team and why he might be the most vital piece to Michigan State’s success. It turns out, I was right. Langford went just 1-of-12 and scored three points in the Syracuse loss. If you throw out the Bucknell game (because they didn’t play defense), Langford didn’t reach more than five points in the last four games of the season.

It was evident throughout the season that Langford either wasn’t confident in his three-point shot or he hates how modern basketball is played. I assume it’s the former because everyone involved in basketball knows that long-range two-pointers are one of the least-efficient shots you can take. Langford shot 44 percent on two pointers, making 108-of-245 shots. For a shooting guard, that’s a lot of twos (only four less than Nick Ward). If I had to guess, at least half of those shots were outside the paint. Again, that’s what many consider the worst shot in basketball. From three, Langford was 44-of-109 — about 40 percent.

Comparing Langford’s 2016-17 stats to 2017-18 brings up even more questions. Langford was a normal player as a freshman, taking the expected amounts of twos and threes and making a respectable amount of each. He shot 57 percent from two and 42 percent from three with 53 percent of his shots coming from inside the arc. To contrast, 69 percent of Langford’s shots last season were inside the 3-point line.

So why did Langford take only 13 more threes than Jaren Jackson? Or why did he take 24 fewer threes than Matt McQuaid, who he played 6.5 minutes more per game than? Since it’s impossible to get that answer, we can only look forward.

With Bridges and Jackson gone, Langford has to score more for the Spartans to be one of the best teams in the country again (and Big Ten). That’s a fact. If Langford plays the same way he did last season, the offense could be in trouble.

The frontcourt should be set as long as Ward returns. He’s a dominant big man along with Xavier Tillman down low. Those two will take up the paint, while guys like Kenny Goins and Marcus Bingham fill in as the main power forwards. Gabe Brown may play some kind of hybrid role at forward, but he probably won’t be a major factor. The backcourt is another question.

Cassius Winston has point guard locked down and he should play at least 30 minutes per game. Langford may end up being the only consistent scorer at the two and three spots (shooting guard/small forward). Matt McQuaid could move into a starting role, but his development over the last three seasons has been non-existent and isn’t someone to count on. There’s some hype for Foster Loyer, but he’ll likely only be used as Winston’s backup or someone that comes in when Michigan State needs a shooter.

As a freshman, that doesn’t have major quickness or height, he can’t be relied upon. Kyle Ahrens could see a decent amount of time as a backup, but after missing a full season, there’s no reason to expect him to be an offensive force. Aaron Henry will also probably be in the mix only because the Spartans don’t have much else to offer, especially if McQuaid doesn’t improve or Ahrens isn’t fully healthy.

The frontcourt and point guard are set, but what about the other two positions? Langford is the only guy that can be counted on and he’s still an unknown in a bigger role. Will he force more pull-up twos in the upcoming season or will he change his game? In Big Ten play, Langford shot 50-of-130 from two (39 percent). It’s best to assume Langford has looked over those numbers and will aim to better them.

The ideal 2018-19 stats for Langford will be equal amounts of twos and threes. Winston loves to pass. McQuaid draws defensive attention on the perimeter. Ward and Tillman draw double teams down low. The shots will be there.

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Langford remains the most important piece for Michigan State basketball in the upcoming season. If he repeats what he did last year and doesn’t improve his offensive game or strategy, the Spartans won’t go anywhere in March. Last season, they had Bridges to score as a small forward. Now, they have Langford.