After five up-and-down, stop-and-start years at Michigan State, Joshua Langford's basketball career is over.
Langford announced Monday that his playing days have come to an end. He won't be returning for a sixth year of college hoops or pursuing a professional career.
"Although it will be new to me, I am excited for the next part of my race," Langford said in an Instagram post. "I would also want to encourage others to see that you have much more in you than what you do right now. Do not allow what you do to define who you are because it doesn't."
Langford arrived at Michigan State in 2016 as part of a vaunted recruiting class that ranked No. 3 in the country. He played in all 70 of the Spartans' games over his first two seasons, before injuries limited him to 13 games in 2018-19 and cost him the entirety of 2019-20.
Langford returned this season as a fifth-year senior and averaged 9.7 points over 27 games. He had one more year of eligibility, but has decided to take his life in a new direction.
"You don't have to be afraid of taking new steps that others may not think you should take," he said. "You don't have to live in a box that is built by what culture and other people say you should do. That doesn't mean that you don't listen, but it does mean that you don't limit yourself."
