Lang: Louisville Way Out in Front

To hear James Lang speak, the 6-10 behemoth from Central Park Christian in Birmingham, Ala., has already made up his mind on where he will attend college next fall.

"Louisville has a good coaching staff, and I like the coach and I like the players, so I am going to go out there and help them out, because they need a big man," Lang said on Thursday evening. "It's Louisville now, that's it, it is not going to change, I am going to Louisville."

Lang scored 25 points on Thursday night, but it wasn't enough to help the Alabama Ice cool down a red-hot shooting Michigan Hurricanes program, as the Ice were bounced from the Sweet 16 by the Hurricanes in an 81-73 decision.

Lang visited Louisville last month when he attended a basketball camp at the Conference USA school, and he immediately took a liking to his surroundings there.

"I decided a long time ago when I visited that that was where I wanted to go," Lang said in Las Vegas last night. "I talked to my mom, and we got things straightened out, so that's where I am going to be going."

Rivalshoops.com spoke with Alabama Ice Head Coach Kenny Harris on Thursday night after Lang made his comments, and he stated that something official regarding Lang's announcement could follow in the coming weeks.

"He loves Louisville," Harris said. "He went to camp there a few weeks back, and he loves the staff there -- Pitino has a great record in working with guys and getting them ready to go to the league. He really liked Pitino's approach, and he got to see what he was really all about."

"He also liked the facilities there," Harris continued. "That's basketball country out there. Louisville is who he likes, but he has to get back with his mom and dad and talk with them, because they are a very tight family and they want to do what's best for him."

Harris expects Lang to meet with his family in after the Ice return from Las Vegas and hammer out the final details.

"I feel very strong that there's no doubt that's what he wants to do (attend Louisville), but he's a good kid and has a good family, and he'll get back and sit and talk with them," Harris said. "I think there's a good chance that there will be a press conference sometime within the next few weeks for him to announce verbally who he likes, but something drastic would have to happen for him not to pick Louisville."

Harris said that Alabama Birmingham, Memphis and Alabama are really the only other possibilities that Lang might be considering at this stage.

"Put it this way -- he's Louisville's to lose," Harris said. "The good thing too is Pitino does things right, he's very up front and honest, and things have been great."

Should anything new develop with Lang in the weeks to come, Rivalshoops.com will keep you posted, so stay tuned!