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More on Makai Ashton-Langford

Ashton Langford

The last time I saw Makai Ashton-Langford the game almost looked too easy.

On that night two weeks ago, at the National Prep Showcase Invitational at Rhode Island College, the class of 2017 point guard was once again impossible to stop off of the dribble, and each basket looked easier than the one prior. He led Cushing Academy with 21 points in a loss to Sunrise Christian Academy, in a game that Cushing led by 14 points at the half before letting the game slip away late.

Ashton-Langford has been a known commodity locally for the past few years. The Worcester native starred at St. Peter-Marian (the same school that one-time PC verbal Naadir Tharpe played at prior to heading to Brewster Academy) before announcing his decision to transfer to Cushing in the spring of 2014.

With that transfer Ashton-Langford decided to repeat his sophomore year and play for three seasons at Cushing. He looked primed to learn from Connecticut commit (and fellow Mass Rivals AAU guard) Jalen Adams, but Adams decided to head to Brewster, thrusting Ashton-Langford and a group of sophomores into the spotlight last season.

He hasn’t looked back since. He was terrific running the show for the Rivals last summer and saw his stock explode. The lightning-quick point guard is now ranked 33rd nationally per ESPN and 46 on Scout’s 2017 rankings.

There has been talk over the past year that he could reclassify back to the class of 2016 — talk that will continue after HoopSeen’s Corey Evans wrote that 2016 is still a possibility.

From the article:

A possible reclass into the 2016 class is still an option, something that Ashton-Langford spoke briefly on. “I would have to get my last few classes completed before I could qualify for next year,” he told HoopSeen. “If I did get them, my decision probably wouldn’t come until later this year once school gets out.”

Ashton-Langford called out Providence and Connecticut specifically when asked about which schools are pursuing him most heavily. Adams is currently a freshman at UConn and they have a five star 2016 guard in Alterique Gilbert coming next year, but still the Connecticut staff was out in full force at the National Prep Showcase two weeks ago to watch Ashton-Langford firsthand.

He spoke of Providence’s recruitment to Evans:

“They just are telling me that Kris Dunn is out and that the chance is there for me to step in immediately,” the Cushing guard stated.

Providence already has a 2016 point guard commitment on the books in Virginia native Maliek White, but Ashton-Langford is so supremely talented that they’d have to be thrilled with a commitment, regardless of the current roster makeup.

Ashton-Langford was in attendance for the PC/Villanova game the weekend of the Prep Invitational.

Twitter: @Kevin_Farrahar

Email: kevin.farrahar@friarbasketball.com