Does Joshua Langford's injury change Michigan State's NCAA title hopes? Let's examine

EAST LANSING — Tom Izzo lost his starting shooting guard Monday night, a few hours after his team had been tabbed the preseason No. 1. The Michigan State basketball coach met with reporters Tuesday to break the news about senior Joshua Langford.  

Izzo choked up at the podium as he spoke about Langford — a recurring foot and ankle issue will keep him out until at least January, when he’ll be reevaluated by doctors. 

It’s a devastating blow for Langford, who played in just 13 games last season because of the injury.

What kind of blow is it to the Spartans' title chances is hard to say.  

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They got to the Final Four last season without him, though they could’ve used him in their loss to Texas Tech.  

At heart, Langford is a bucket-getter and one of the few players on the team who can create a shot near the end of the shot clock. He’s also a plus perimeter defender. Off the court, he is MSU’s spiritual leader, which is partly why Izzo got emotional Tuesday; he knows how much his players look up to Langford. 

“It’s one of those things that breaks my heart,” Izzo said. “Thank God he has strong beliefs. Even though he’s still very disappointed, he believes everything happens for a reason … I love Josh Langford. He's given me everything on the court, off the court, in the classroom.” 

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It’s certainly possible that Langford will return sometime during the Big Ten season. If he does, Izzo gets to coach the roster so many believe is the best in college basketball.  

And if he doesn’t? 

Izzo gets to coach a roster that still should be good enough to compete for a national title, as long as a couple of young players step up. 

This very thing happened last season when Langford went down. Then-senior Matt McQuaid helped fill the void defensively on the perimeter and provided timely shooting.  Freshman Aaron Henry also helped with defense and the occasional flurry of buckets. 

Just as critically, point guard Cassius Winston took control of the offense. Everything ran through him, often beginning with high ball screens.  

Winston’s ability to manipulate the flow of a game, not to mention its spacing, allowed for a more fluid offensive approach where the ball was spread a bit more evenly. This style helped him earn conference player of the year. 

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It also propelled the Spartans to the Final Four. Against Texas Tech, the lack of depth finally submarined them. Early foul trouble to Henry meant McQuaid had to play too many minutes. Langford surely would’ve helped. 

The difference this season is that Izzo potentially has more depth to rely on,  as long as the rest of the team stays healthy. 

Izzo suggested he could move Henry into the shooting guard spot and slide Gabe Brown, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, into the small forward spot. Brown isn’t the defender Langford is, but he is showing potential as a rebounder and he can knock down open 3s.  

If nothing else, a Winston-Henry-Brown perimeter would provide length and scoring. Kyle Ahrens, a senior wing, would be part of this rotation, too.  

Ahrens sprained his ankle last week during a scrimmage against Gonzaga. Assuming it’s minor, the senior offers solid defense, 3-point shooting and toughness.  

The other option Izzo has is to go small in the backcourt with freshman Rocket Watts, a top-30 recruit who has NBA 3-point range, quick feet and a disposition to defend. In fact, Izzo has been surprised by Watts’ defense early in camp. 

It’s possible he could make the same leap Henry did a year ago when he was thrust into a major role because of Langford’s injury. This time, Watts has the entire season to figure it out.  

Another factor is Henry himself. If he is ready to build on the promise he showed during the NCAA tournament run, he might be the kind of difference maker last season's team didn’t possess: a fuller, better version of himself. 

Toss in improvement from big man Xavier Tillman, and trusting that some combination of Thomas Kithier, Marcus Bingham, Julius Marble and Malik Hall can fill the spot at power forward, and there is no reason that MSU can’t play in April. 

Yes, Langford is a unique presence on the team. He was playing the best basketball of his career last season before he got hurt. But because his injury forced the staff to recalibrate its attack, MSU found the space and freedom for Winston to blossom into becoming the best point guard in college basketball. 

Now Winston has to do it again. And while these Spartans are largely younger, they are deeper — Izzo played 11 against Gonzaga, not including Langford. 

As long as that depth holds, and as long as a few players develop as they often do in East Lansing, the ultimate goal doesn’t have to change.  

Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @shawnwindsor.