Former Kansas University basketball standout Keith Langford earned MVP honors in leading his Virtus Bologna Fiere team to a first-place finish in the 2009 EuroChallenge in Italy.

Langford scored 21 points in a 77-75 victory over Cholet Basket of France in the EuroChallenge title game April 26. The EuroChallenge is the top men’s basketball competition directly run by FIBA Europe.

“I’m playing for a great club and I hope I’m here again next year,” Langford told fibaeurope.com.

Langford, a 25-year-old shooting guard from Fort Worth, Texas, who is the sixth-leading scorer in KU history, averaged 14.7 points and 3.5 rebounds a game during the 2008-09 season. He scored 13 points in a Final Four semifinal victory over Proteas EKA AEL.

Eastern Michigan’s Earl Boykins and Clemson’s Sharrod Ford also played on the Virtus team.

KU is No. 1: Add Sports Illustrated’s Luke Winn to the list of media types picking Kansas to win the 2010 NCAA title.

“I’m last aboard the Kansas-as-No. 1 bandwagon,” Winn wrote. “Michigan State topped the rankings that ran the morning after the title game, but that was before KU added a another first-round NBA talent to its lineup. Xavier Henry gives the Jayhawks something they lacked — scoring power from the wing — and bumps them just above the Spartans. The nation is ‘aTwitter’ over the John Wall recruiting saga, but Henry’s decision could turn out to be bigger.”

This, that: Former KU guard Tyrone Appleton reportedly has NCAA Div. II University of Southern Indiana high on his list of possible transfer destinations. His dad says no final decision on a school has been made. … Former KU forward Quintrell Thomas visited UNLV last weekend and has UNLV, St. Joseph’s and Siena on his list.