University of North Carolina Athletics
Lang: Freshman with Big Dreams
June 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
February 4, 1999
by Jenny Wiedeke
Sports Information Intern
Kris Lang was always a little bit different from the other kids growing up in Gastonia, N.C. Sure, his height made him head and shoulders above the rest of his classmates, but as a 12 year old playing on the 16 year old YMCA league basketball team, Lang had big plans.
"I always imagined making the varsity basketball team at my high school, that was my biggest dream," Lang says.
Lang's dream came true and thankfully for Tar Heel fans he expanded his horizons beyond the Hunter Huss High School boys varsity basketball team. The 6-10 forward/center soon found himself being courted by Division I schools across the nation, but it was the school in his home state that caught his eye.
"I knew that I wanted to come to Carolina for awhile," Lang says. "But I still gave other schools a fair chance. My high school coach said I ought to, so I did. Deep down, though, I knew that Carolina was the place I belonged."
Despite being a high school All-America, Lang arrived in Chapel Hill a bit overshadowed by fellow classmates Jason Capel and Ronald Curry. But with Curry getting a late start to the basketball season and Capel being sidelined recently with mononucleosis, Lang has had the chance to emerge from the shadows and make a more immediate impact on the Carolina squad.
When Carolina opened the season Nov. 13 against Appalachian State, Lang and Capel became the 12th and 13th Tar Heel players to start their first career games as freshmen. Lang has been a regular in the Carolina starting lineup ever since, and was averaging 10.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game through the first 23 games of the season.
"The outside people were always talking about Ronald and Jason, so I was kind of forgotten about," Lang says. "It gave me inspiration to work even harder in practice and in school. I dreamed of being a starter at Carolina ever since I signed."
Lang's focus earned him the respect of opponents and teammates and fans and a coveted starting position. And once again, Lang's wildest basketball dream came true. Some have dubbed him the biggest surprise of the season, but don't tell him that.
"For my expectations, no, I wasn't a big surprise," Lang says. "I always expect more than what I give. I can understand why some people my think that I'm a surprise, but for me, myself and what I've done, I'm definitely not a surprise."
Like any big brother would do, many of Lang's Tar Heel teammates have taken the freshman starter under their wing.
"You're a freshman, with all of these huge changes when you get here," Lang says. "You don't know anything, so anything they tell you, any small piece of advice becomes a good piece of advice."
Lang credits most of the team with helping him through his transition to Division I basketball.
"They all have done so much to help me out," he says. "Each one of them has done different things, you pick up something from one guy and then a little more from another. Brendan Haywood, Brian Bersticker, Ed Cota and Ademola Okulaja have helped me out a lot."
Now, the kid that was head and shoulders above the rest of classmates at home in Gastonia is finding himself in the spotlight on the Carolina campus.
"People sometimes look at me when I'm walking or someplace in town," Lang says. "I've noticed it a lot more now that the season is going on that people are taking more notice. I don't necessarily like to have the spotlight and attention, but as long as we win and have a good time then it's all good."
Lang is intent on doing everything in his power to make sure that everything will be good for the Tar Heels. Like many players, Lang is more apt to focus on his mistakes and hope to improve upon them, than relive his glory moments.
"I would like to improve on everything, "Lang says. "I need to score more points, set more screens, improve on rebounding, improve my assist-to-error ratio, there's just so much."
The former Hunter Huss High School standout has come a long way from his days in the Gastonia gym. And this time, the freshman playing with the older boys has even bigger plans and dreams for the future.
"I would love to sign my name into the NBA draft in about three years," Lang says.
If history repeats itself, this Gastonia native's dream may just come true . . . again.
