NCAA Basketball: 5 biggest “hit or miss” prospects in 2019 NBA Draft

G Romeo Langford – Indiana

2018-19 stats: 16.5 ppg 5.4 rpg 2.3 apg

Originally viewed as a possible top-5 pick when arriving at Indiana, Romeo Langford’s stock has fallen after his freshman season. He put up solid numbers on paper but there were some alarming aspects of his game that has barely projected in the lottery.

The first and possibly biggest concern for Langford was his 27% shooting from three-point range. His shooting mechanics itself isn’t highly regarded and the overall shot selection at times were a struggle. There were times where the Hoosier guard would rely on the referees to bail him out when he slashes to the hole and throws up a contested shot. His offensive game is a work-in-progress overall but it wasn’t as good as some expected.

The intangibles for Langford are also in question, leading an Indiana team who at one point lost 12 of 13 games and eventually missed the NCAA Tournament, despite having several quality victories. There were plenty of times he was called out by his defensive efforts – both off and on the ball.

Will the negatives be outweighed by the positives? Langford does have a legitimate excuse via a thumb injury that may or may have not affected his overall shot. And that Hoosier team had few viable offensive options, giving the star freshman less room to breathe and operate. He still led all Big Ten freshmen in scoring and had a number of games with 20+ points. At 6’6, Langford has the size to play the 2/3-spots on the court and defend bigger guards in the NBA.

Langford isn’t viewed at the same level that Barrett is as a scorer but has similar potential, making him a potential steal from 10-20. There are quite a few franchises that could use a guard like him that can score at a high level. But there is also a chance that he becomes nothing more than an inefficient shooter off the bench. Was the thumb injury more difficult to play with or is last season what to expect in the NBA?