Ex-Jayhawk Keith Langford picked for U.S. Pan Am Games team

In the decade since leaving Kansas, former Jayhawks guard Keith Langford has carved out a lucrative career as one of the best American basketball players in Europe. This month, however, he’ll have the opportunity to compete for his country at the international level.

Langford was selected to the United States Pan American Games team on Sunday, one of 12 players to make the final cut. The squad, which features a mix of college players and professionals, will compete in the Pan American Games during July 21-25 in Toronto. Wichita State guard Ron Baker, who is entering his senior season, was also selected to the team.

The other collegiate players include: Virginia’s Malcom Brogdon, Louisiana-Lafayette’s Shawn Long, Baylor’s Taurean Prince, Arizona’s Kaleb Tarczewski, Maryland’s Romelo Trimble and Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine.

The professional players on the team are: Bobby Brown (China), Ryan Hollins (Sacramento Kings), Anthony Randolph (Russia) and Damien Wilkins (Puerto Rico).

“It’s a group of hard-working guys who have done a great job in camp of really playing together and being unselfish,” said Gonzaga coach Mark Few, who will serve as the head coach at the event. “They came into camp with a great attitude and mindset to really work, and now we’ve got to start formulating and playing to our strengths. This is a group that’s got some versatility, and I think we should be able to play a couple different ways.”

Langford, who played on two Final Four teams and graduated from Kansas in 2005, is currently playing for Unics Kazan, a top professional team in Russia. He has also played for teams in Italy and Israel — as well as logging a stint with the San Antonio Spurs — during his professional career.

This story was originally published July 13, 2015 at 10:44 AM with the headline "Ex-Jayhawk Keith Langford picked for U.S. Pan Am Games team."