BBL Class of: 2011-12 – Jimmy Langhurst

by UK American Sports Fans

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One of the harsh realities of the domestic British basketball leagues is their transient nature. Players come, players go. Some live long in the memory, others not so. Coaches are always striving for ‘best fit’ at the right price and it’s a simple fact that the life of a basketball pro may not always have nailed on job security.

In a pretty forgettable 2011-2012 season, the scoring of Sheffield Sharks Guard, Jimmy Langhurst, lit up the English Institute of Sport and it came as some surprise to learn that the graduate of Robert Morris University was not yet attached to a club for the current season. UKAmericanSportFans.com caught up with Jimmy to see what he was doing presently and to find out what memories he had of his year in the UK and the BBL.

Langhurst came to the Sharks on the back of his performances in the annual USA Select tour. Complications with the arrival of intended Point Guard BJ Jenkins drew Sharks Coach Atiba Lyons to offer Langhurst a deal and he was rewarded with a season that filled up the stats columns. Clearly, shooting is Jimmy’s forte. His University biog reads that he is, ‘arguably the purest shooter on the club.’ He finished his University career shooting 0.433 in field goals, 0.406 in three point field goals and 0.840 from the line. Ninety games for RMU gleaned 8.7 points per game with average floor time of 24 minutes per game.

Langhurst improved on those healthy averages during his time in Sheffield. A stat line of 0.496 in field goals, 0.431 in three pointers and an amazing 0.915 from the line produced a very respectable 18.39 points per game as Langhurst occupied the floor for 35 minutes per game. Stop Langhurst and you stop the Sharks became the mantra of many opposition BBL teams but this didn’t seem to faze the ever-cheerful 24 year old from Willard, Ohio who simply went about the business of hitting the string.

So where is Jimmy now? Currently residing in Pittsburgh (the other Steel City as he is keen to point out!) working out, staying in shape and getting involved in personal training of athletes as a sideline. But what of his first love, basketball?

“I am not attached to any team at the moment. I am definitely still available and on the market. I am for sure! I want to keep playing Pro ball. I know I can still play, it’s just getting hold of the right situation and taking that opportunity and making the most of it.” he said.

Given some of the memorable performances Langhurst produced in Sheffield, such as his first career double-double against the then MK Lions when he filled up the stat-line with 34 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, his assertion that he still has a future in the pro game remains a good one.

But what is the experience of a rookie pro coming to a new country for the first time? Jimmy was happy to discuss how he settled in Sheffield: “I have tons of great memories from the UK. Where do I start? Mainly the fans and team mates because they were a big part of how I viewed the UK. Everyone was so nice and polite to me while being there.”

And what of the different culture? “I remember my first soccer match. How exciting that was to go to a derby match and see the fans and teams go at it (Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday).” Jimmy politely declines to say whether he is a Blade or an Owl!

“My first actual fish and chips stop was a success. Driving on the other side of the road. And then all of London with the tourist hot spots!” Clearly, Britain left its mark on the Langhurst psyche.

What were Jimmy’s impressions of the BBL in his rookie year as a pro? “I think the BBL is a great league. I am glad I started my career in this league and I witnessed that it has some good talent throughout.

“The fans in the BBL are die hard fans. I love how loyal they stay to their teams or the players that have once played for their team. I found it fascinating when we had a home game and an opposing team had a player that played for the Sharks at some time in his career and our fans would cheer for him when they announced his name in the beginning of the game. That was neat of the fans in the BBL to appreciate that player and the hard work he gave those fans for his time with that certain ball club.”

Naturally, Jimmy still keeps up with the progress of the Sharks: “I still keep in touch with some team mates like Olu (Babalola), (Mike) Tuck and Nate (Reinking) and the young fellas like Zach (Gachette) and Colin (Sing) and fans through the whole social network via Facebook/Twitter.”

Basketball still being a minority spectator sport in the UK, it’s always good to get the impressions of a native of the USA as to how the British game can improve: “I can’t really say how it can improve because I know there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes I’m sure. One thing maybe is to have more basketball clubs for youngsters. This way it starts when they are young and can maybe get some recognition as they grow and maybe the sport will. But again funding comes into play and who is going to be in charge, so there are a lot of things that go into it that I’m sure people have already tried this or mentioned this before. I think having the Olympics there might have helped a bit.”

Growth from the grassroots appears to be the message and a very topical one too given the recent struggles of Team GB and England Basketball in the search for meaningful funding.

So what does the future hold for Langhurst?

“Once basketball is done I would like to get into teaching US History for the Secondary level (7th grade to 12th grade) and maybe even coach down the road.”

And what of the immediate future? Would a return to our shores be a possibility?

“I would most definitely like to play in the UK again. I had a great first year there basketball wise and the experience of taking in a different culture was amazing.”

Affable as ever, Jimmy left the Sharks fans with many fond memories of his high-scoring shooting prowess and it would gladden the heart of any UK basketball fan to think they may yet again see a trademark Langhurst triple hitting the net sometime soon.

To follow the progress of Jimmy, look him up on Twitter (@JLanghurst12). Prospective Coaches please take note!