No matter what transpired Wednesday night during the McDonald’s All-American game, Joshua Langford could return to his Alabama home knowing he had made a difference.
On Sunday at the Ronald McDonald House downtown, Langford introduced himself to Bradley Godish, a 5-year-old boy from Elgin battling acute myeloid leukemia. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Langford stunned Godish by turning the tables and asking for his autograph.
“We said, ‘Wait, this is not how this works. We want your autograph,'” recalled Bradley’s father, Brian. “He was caught off guard, but he was very meticulous.”
Langford, who has signed with Michigan State, then told the Godishes about his background: At 12, he nearly died from bacterial meningitis, an ailment that caused extreme fever, headaches and hallucinations. Doctors warned it could rob him of vision and hearing.
Like Bradley, who received a stem-cell transplant from twin sister Charlotte, Langford underwent an excruciatingly painful spinal tap. And he endured all this while his father, Tellus, was out of touch for stretches while working in Iraq as a government civilian.
“At 12 years old, I was able to put (a) lot of things in perspective,” Langford said. “I try to give 100 percent on the court because you never know when it will be your last time playing.”
Langford, ranked the nation’s No. 19 player in the 247Sports.com composite, selected Michigan State over Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and Michigan.
Just as he wasn’t shy about asking for Bradley’s autograph, Langford said his father contacted Michigan State officials before coach Tom Izzo began recruiting him.
“A lot of times they don’t think they can get kids out of the South,” he explained.
Langford was attracted to what he called a “blue-blood program” with a coach who “lights up a room.”
And wins. Their stunning first-round NCAA tournament loss to Middle Tennessee notwithstanding, the Spartans figure to enter next season as Big Ten favorites with Indiana and perhaps Maryland.
Of the 20 committed players who took the floor at the United Center, only two have signed with Big Ten schools: Langford and forward Miles Bridges, also bound for East Lansing.
Langford said his favorite players to watch (including on YouTube) are Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Izzo told Langford that Langford reminds him of former Illinois guard Deron Williams.
How would Langford describe his game?
“I like playmaking to get my teammates better, rebounding on both ends, and I can guard (positions) one through five,” he said. “I’m a budding shooter — not a bad shooter, but I want to get better.”
Langford listened Tuesday as Jay Williams, the former Bulls guard serving as a “strategic thought planner” for the McDonald’s All-American games, told the players: “This is the start of your journey.”
As Williams said later, “All these kids have the talent. The mentality is what separates you. Some of these kids, in today’s age with social media, they’re being patted on the back 24-7.”
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Williams, a 1999 McDonald’s All-American, was not a naturally gifted shooter. He had to work at it, and that meant days at Duke that went like this: 6 a.m. conditioning, shooting until 8:30, class from 9 to 3, more conditioning and shooting, two-hour practice, shower, dinner, study hall.
“When you’re in high school,” Williams said, “what you think is hard work pales in comparison to the college level.”
Langford says he’s ready for the grind. And ready to inspire more kids like Bradley.
“We’ve known Joshua for three days,” said Brian Godish, who attended the McDonald’s All-American game with his son. “It feels like three years.”
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein