Friar Basketball

Closer Look: Makai Ashton-Langford

Ashton Langford

Friarbasketball.com will take a closer look at a number of key PC recruiting targets. Our staff will continue to provide reports on the top Friar targets throughout the year, and offer updates on prospects that have been previously featured. 

Prospect: Makai Ashton-Langford

Position: PG

School: Cushing Academy

AAU Program: Mass Rivals

Class: 2017

Overview:

Earlier this week Craig Leighton featured Providence native Kimani Lawrence, now it’s time to take a look at his Cushing Academy teammate Makai Ashton-Langford.

Ashton-Langford was key to a young core at Cushing this past season, transferring in from St. Peter Marian in Worcester (where Naadir Tharpe played before heading to Brewster Academy), and being handed the reigns as Cushing transitioned from the Kaleb Joseph and Jalen Adams era.

Ashton-Langford could become one of the most sought after point guards not just in New England (he’s currently ranked 5th overall in the class of 2017 by the New England Recruiting Report), but the entire country if he harnesses his frighteningly explosive speed.

After being named 2nd Team All NEPSAC AA this season, he has been a force on the AAU circuit playing for Mass Rivals this spring. Rivals.com featured him this week, with national writer Eric Bossi wondering aloud if Ashton-Langford is the next Jalen Adams.

Playing for Mass Rivals certainly won’t hurt. This is a program that played a critical role in the development of Joseph and Adams as they went from under the radar prospects to elite point guards, and Ashton-Langford has all the physical tools to become a top flight point guard.

In New England he’s ranked behind elite prospects in Jermaine Samuels, Tomas Murphy, Hamidou Diallo and fellow point guard Tremont Waiters, but the belief here is that Ashton-Langford has more long-term upside than Waters, the diminutive guard who has put up monstrous numbers at South Kent.

Ashton-Langford reclassified to the class of 2017 upon enrolling at Cushing and has been quoted as saying he’d considering rejoining the 2016 class depending on his college prospects.

The Competition:

It’s extremely early in his recruiting process and the list is bound to grow over the next year, but Ashton-Langford told Bossi that he holds offers from Providence, Boston College, Rhode Island and St. Bonaventure.

What They are Saying:

From CoxHub on April 23: “If Tremont Waters and Hamidou Diallo were the 2017 prospects making the most noise after the first week of the live period, then Makai Ashton-Langford jumped into that mix both feet first after his performance at the Northeast Hoops Festival. The Cushing Academy guard led the Mass Rivals to a pair of wins on Sunday, but most impressive was the ease with which he’s able to get to the rim. Dribble drive players aren’t at all uncommon in today’s game, at both the high school and AAU levels, but what is uncommon is a player who navigates through traffic as effortlessly as Ashton-Langford and then finishes just as easily at the rim, regardless of his angle to the rim or position of the defense.”

First-hand Impressions:

I caught Ashton-Langford on a handful of occasions this past season and his best statistical effort came in a back-and-forth battle with Marianapolis on the campus of St. Andrew’s in Barrington, RI. He finished that day with 17 points, six assists, five rebounds and five steals in an overtime win.

His speed can be breath-taking, but he’ll take his game to the next level when he fully learns to play at varying speeds. Considering Kris Dunn was just quoted as saying he played the past season on pure athleticism, it’s no surprise that a high school sophomore gets by on God-given quickness and speed. Ashton-Langford is a blur.

Highlights:

Twitter: @Kevin_Farrahar

Email: kevin.farrahar@friarbasketball.com

One Comment

  1. Kevin Murray

    April 30, 2015 at 3:49 am

    I’ve been touting this kid for years…better than Tharpe…hope he doesn’t make same mistake & not come to Friartown.

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