Hoping to go out with a bang

By John Austen

While six foot two isn't tall by basketball standards, there is little doubt that Philippe Langlois is a very big man on campus. The Stinger point guard, who is nearing the end of his career as a student athlete at Concordia, says he will settle for nothing less than a Canadian university championship.

With the Stingers currently ranked No. 3 in the country, that goal seems within reach.

"I will be extremely disappointed if we actually don't win the National Championship," Langlois told the Thursday Report. "It's my final season and this team is set to go all the way. We underachieved last year. This team is better and we learn from our mistakes."

Langlois is one of the key ingredients in a Stinger squad that has risen from the ashes of a horrendous 2-12 season a couple of years ago to one that is fighting tooth and nail with Laval for first place in the Quebec conference. The Stingers have now won 11 of their last 12 games (eight of nine in league play) and sit two points ahead of the Rouge et Or.

"Phil is one of those gifted athletes that makes everyone around him better," said Stinger coach John Dore. "He is such an intelligent guy both on and off the court. He's also in the best shape of his life and is having an MVP All-Canadian type of year."

Langlois won honourable mention All-Canadian status and was a First Team All-Star in 2003. He was named a Second Team All-Star in 2002. You won't find Langlois bragging about his accomplishments though. He's so team oriented that he's often accused of passing the ball off too much.

"Yeah, maybe sometimes I should shoot a little more," he said. "But that is just how I play the game. Basketball is a team sport and you'll see our scoring is spread around a lot. That makes it harder to defend us."

Langlois stared playing basketball in his native Varennes when he suited up for College St. Paul at the age of 13.

"I liked the sport right away because it was a way for me to express myself," he said. "I was also a center in Peewee AA hockey. My parents were getting fed up with driving me all over the place, so I had to chose one sport... and that was basketball."

After graduating from high school, the then unilingual francophone landed a full scholarship at Eastern Kentucky University.

"I could hardly speak any English when I went down there and didn't understand the professors at all," Langlois said. "They got me a tutor though and soon I could understand and communicate.

"The game is much faster down there and the players have been playing from an earlier age than me," he continued. "But I did OK. It was a great learning experience."

A coaching change in Kentucky meant Langlois came back to Montreal where he was heavily recruited by Bishop's, Laval and Concordia.

"I definitely made the right choice," he said. "I liked the coaching philosophy of John Dore and thought it was also the best place to continue my education."

Dore says Langlois has matured into the team leader.

"He really is the best passer in the country and he settles down his teammates," Dore said. "His work ethic on and off the court is a model for everyone."

Langlois ran five kilometres four or five days a week leading up to the season, and it has paid off.

"He's in a great space right now," Dore said. "He is an extremely unselfish player."

Langlois wears the number five for the Maroon and Gold, the same number as his idol, Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets.

"I really looked up to Kidd," Langlois said. "He is a great point guard, a floor leader and a tremendous passer."

Langlois was asked if his final game in a Concordia uniform would be a sad day for him.

"Not if we win our final game," he replied. "That would mean a Canadian championship. And trust me, I won't be sad that day!"