College Commitment: James Lang (2021 Jesuit)

Photo courtesy of Kyle Pinnell

Mark another Class of 2021 standout off the board. James Lang James Lang 6'0" | CG Jesuit | 2021 State OR had garnered interest from a number of schools as coaches really liked the way the Jesuit senior shot the ball. The 6-foot-1 senior looked carefully at all of his options, but after taking a visit to Carroll College in Montana he decided that the Saints program would be the best fit for him at the college level.

"My parents and I went up there to meet Coach (Kurt) Paulson during Jesuit’s spring break," Lang said. "So we drove up there to Helena, we toured the campus and met up with the coaches. I thought it was a nice campus and it’s a great academic school, which is what I was wanting. I felt like I fit in well with the players and the coaches."

"(Paulson) offered me there and I came back and about three days later I committed," Lang continued. "I was talking to some other coaches but I thought Carroll was the right option for me."

Lang went into detail about the fit he found in the basketball program and how their style of play matched what he was familiar with and looking for.

"I noticed that they tend to a lot of stuff like what Jesuit does, like defense wise," Lang said. "I was watching some of their film in games and it reminded me a lot of what Coach (Gene) Potter does with the Jesuit program. They play really hard on defense and I thought I’d do really well there and it would be a really good experience for me."

Known for his ability to knock down open shots - Lang hit 39 percent from three-point range last season while averaging a team-high 13.5 points per game - the senior knows he still has work to do to get ready for the level that Carroll plays at.

"Definitely working on getting stronger and defensive-wise, but also the NAIA pushed back the three-point line to where the NCAA’s is," Lang said. "So I want to extend my range a little bit. I believe I’m a fairly good shooter from distance, so I’m just working on shooting a little ways back from where high school (line) is."

"And getting to the rim a lot off the dribble will help me a lot," Lang continued. "I was more of a catch-and-shoot guy at Jesuit last year as a junior so I think finding my shot off the dribble and getting shots for my teammates is what I want to work on."

With his decision in the books, Lang is now ready for his last high school season ahead with the Crusaders. "I’m excited," Lang said. "I think we have a pretty good team and we’ll be a pretty senior-dominated team. We have a lot of older kids and we have a lot of experience. We’re looking at keeping our run of having a winning season. I’m really looking forward to it."

Lang currently ranks as the #26 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2021 rankings.