Keith Langford needn’t look far for extra motivation this college basketball preseason.

Langford, the leading returning scorer from Kansas University’s 2003 Final Four team, has been disrespected in some preseason publications.

• The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder’s name is nowhere on Dick Vitale’s five all-Rolls Royce teams of the ESPN announcer’s top 25 players.
• Langford’s name is also missing from Blue Ribbon Yearbook’s list of the country’s top 20 players.
• And, in perhaps the biggest slight, the Fort Worth, Texas, native didn’t make Athlon Magazine’s list of the top 10 “slashers.”

Langford, who averaged 15.9 points a game last season and 18.2 in six NCAA Tournament games, is known for his knifing moves to the goal.

“Keith has a real reason to be mad,” KU junior point guard Aaron Miles said Wednesday. “If we had won the national-championship game, he’d have probably been the most valuable player of the Final Four.

Kansas University junior Keith Langford, the Jayhawks' top returning scorer, is paying little attention to being omitted on preseason best lists by two magazines and analyst Dick Vitale.

“He’s one of the top five wingmen in America. If I’m making a list … I definitely want him on my team.”

Langford seems more confused — and amused — than angry about the snubs.

“As far as Athlon, I think I’m disappointed a little bit,” Langford said Wednesday. “I do watch a lot of college basketball. Personally, myself, I have not seen 10 college basketball players I feel get to the rack and finish better at the basket.

“I’ve seen a couple of guys on that list we might play against next year. I take it upon myself to make the best out of the opportunity when it comes.”

Athlon’s top 10 slashers are: Julius Hodge, North Carolina State; Romain Sato, Xavier; Andre Emmett, Texas Tech; Ricky Paulding, Missouri; Rashad McCants, North Carolina; Desmond Farmer, USC; Josh Childress, Stanford; Michel Morandais, Colorado; Luke Jackson, Oregon; and Kirk Snyder, Nevada.

“When the season starts,” Langford said, “they will not be saying on TV when your name appears, ‘In Athlon he was a top 10 slasher.’ It’s a damn magazine.”

Vitale recently on ESPN said he was a fan of Langford and could envision the KU guard on his postseason lists of top players. Still, that doesn’t change the fact Langford was ignored on the Rolls Royce lists that fans talk about.

“As far as Dick Vitale,” Langford said, “there’s nothing I can say about that. He jumps on and off everybody’s bandwagon too much. It’d be ridiculous for me to get upset about that.”

Langford said he was committed to having another big season and worked hard in the offseason to add 10 pounds of muscle.

“Last year, I was listed at 205 (pounds). That was kind of generous,” Langford said. “I was more like 199, 200. I had to plead with the coaching staff to give me those extra pounds.

“Now I am 210, 211. I worked a lot with Jonas (Sahratian, strength coach). I finally bought into what he’s trying to do. I sat down with Jonas. He changed my diet a little bit. He has me eating like four or five times a day.”

Langford hopes the extra bulk will help him in another lengthy season.

“I might get more attention from defenses,” he said. “On drives to the basket guys might try to check me, knock me down. The season can get long. I don’t want to have knickknack bumps and bruises.”

• Recruiting update: Alexander “Sasha” Kaun, a 6-11 center from Melbourne, Fla., is expected to choose either Duke or KU early next week.

“I’m ready to get it over with. I can’t wait,” Kaun Tuesday told newspaper Florida Today.

Kaun, who will visit Duke this weekend, received a visit from Duke assistant Chris Collins Wednesday. KU coach Bill Self is due in for a visit today. Friday, Kaun heads to Durham, N.C., for his final campus visit.

“Kansas sent a private jet to pick him up for his visit,” Florida Air Academy coach Aubin Goporo said. “Michigan State (which has been eliminated) found out about it and also sent one. Duke will, too. I really don’t know which way he’s going to decide, but he cannot go wrong with either one.”

Meanwhile, Malik Hairston, 6-6 from Detroit, who visited KU last weekend, tells rivals.com he likely will visit Michigan and Michigan State on unofficial visits then decide between KU, Ohio State, UCLA and the two in-state schools. Virginia Tech is also a possible destination for a visit.

This weekend, KU will receive visits from C.J. Giles, 6-10, from Seattle; Quentin Thomas, 6-4 from Oakland, Calif.; and Russell Robinson, 6-1, from New York.