IU basketball star Langford to declare for NBA draft

Romeo Langford says he will enter the NBA draft after playing just one season at Indiana University.

The Hoosiers star guard told ESPN.com on Thursday he will make his decision official next week.

It's hardly a surprise.

The state's reigning Mr. Basketball Award winner was widely regarded as one of the nation's top recruits and chose the Hoosiers over some of the country's most prestigious programs including Kentucky and Louisville, just across the Ohio River from his hometown of New Albany, Indiana.

He didn't disappoint in college. Langford led the Hoosiers with 16.5 points per game and added 5.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists — earning second-team all-Big Ten honors as well as all-freshman honors. But he did not play in the Hoosiers' NIT run because of a back injury.

Langford also plans to have surgery for a torn ligament in his thumb.

"I think it's fair to say that we never got a chance to see me at my best at the college level, especially since I've been playing with basically a cast on my thumb the whole season," Langford said. "Obviously that throws off your shot. Even though I didn't shoot as well as I'm capable of, I feel like I shot the ball pretty well in the second half of the season."

The 6-foot-6 freshman played his best when he could drive to the basket.

"I'm looking forward to showing NBA teams all the things that they didn't see out of me during the college basketball season," he said.