UConn has been in it since the beginning with talented point guard Makai Ashton-Langford, Rivals' 40th-ranked player in the nation. He has made multiple visits to Storrs dating back to last year, and this weekend he made things official by making his commitment to Kevin Ollie and the Huskies, per Adam Finkelstein.
Ashton-Langford was down to Louisville, Providence, and Connecticut, the three schools which had been recruiting him the hardest. Once Louisville received a commitment from point guard Darius Perry in early-August, it was down to UConn and PC. Ashton-Langford made a visit to Providence for one day before his weekend visit to UConn where he finalized his decision.
The 6-foot-3 point guard earned much praise across a summer in which his grassroots team, Mass Rivals, current Husky Jalen Adams' former team, won both of Adidas' top summer tournaments. Rivals' lead national analyst Eric Bossi had Ashton-Langford on his All-Live Period Team, noting that "Ashton-Langford controlled the tempo all weekend long and came up with big buckets whenever needed."
Another Rivals analyst, Dan McDonald, saw him at one of the Adidas events, saying "the four-star prospect has everything a coach could want in a point guard. Ashton-Langford is under control, makes good decisions, sees the floor well and can hit shots when all else breaks down.
"He looks like the type of player that will pick a top program and stick around for at least a few years, and he’ll win a lot of games along the way."
That profile fits UConn well, as the Huskies have never really been about the one-and-done recruits. The way Kevin Ollie likes to use guards, Ashton-Langford will have plenty of opportunity to make an impact and should be on the court with multiple ballhandlers on what should be an explosive offense when paired with his former AAU teammate Jalen Adams along with Alterique Gilbert and playmaking wings Vance Jackson and Terry Larrier.
Ashton-Langford is UConn's first class of 2017 commitment. Ollie and the Huskies had a big haul in 2016, pulling in the No. 9 recruiting class in the country with five players. After this season, the Huskies will graduate Rodney Purvis, Amida Brimah, and Kentan Facey, so there will still be roster spots open.
