Romeo Langford thought recruitment would be over by now. 'But here I am.'

ATLANTA – Romeo Langford never anticipated he would be the guy at the McDonald’s All American Game — just a few days from the start of April — still undecided on his college choice.

“I told myself I wasn’t going to be that one guy that would wait until the last minute,” Langford said at the McDonald’s All American Games media day Tuesday afternoon at Philips Arena. “But here I am.”

The New Albany star was one of 24 McDonald’s All Americans stationed in the media room on Tuesday. For the better part of an hour, Langford answered questions about his recruitment and his relationship with the coaches, players and incoming recruits of his three finalists: Indiana, Kansas and Vanderbilt.

Bailey, Kemp, Big Dog: Indiana's McDonald's All Americans over the years

More: Langford has chance to join ranks of top recruiting wins in IU history

While fans of those schools are eager to find out what he is going to do (Note to those fans: He turned off his Twitter notifications two years ago), Langford is taking an approach to recruiting that mirrors his no-nonsense, poker-face on-court persona.

The elite of the elite high school basketball prospects can afford to wait. But even here in Atlanta, Langford is one of just three uncommitted players. It may work in his favor.

“I know some people commit early and then text me like, ‘Dang, I wish I never would have committed so early because of this or that,’” Langford said. “Even though I waited so long, I get to see how everything plays out so when I get there nothing will be different or I won’t be surprised by anything.”

The player sitting two seats away from Langford on Tuesday might be as key as anyone in the process outside of Langford’s immediate family. Darius Garland, a 6-2 point guard from Brentwood, Tenn., is signed with Vanderbilt. Garland, ranked as the No. 2 point guard in the country, would love nothing more than to see Langford join him at Vanderbilt.

Langford said the texts often read like this:

Garland: “What’s up?”

Langford: “Nothing.”

Garland: “Come to Vandy.”

“I’m not going to press him really hard,” Garland said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. You only get to do this once. But I want him (at Vanderbilt).”

Langford said he has developed a similar relationship with McCutcheon guard Robert Phinisee, an Indiana recruit. Kansas recruits Devon Dotson, Quentin Grimes and David McCormack have also been in Langford’s ear the past few days.

One thing is certain: Langford will talk with all three schools before he makes a decision.

“I’m going to make one more trip to IU and talk to each school one more time,” he said.

Langford said he never considered any other schools after cutting his list to those three programs prior to the season. Indiana missed the NCAA tournament in Archie Miller’s first year as coach but made a positive impression on Langford in a 16-15 season.

“(This season) showed me how (Miller) knows how to get the most out of his players and develop them,” Langford said. “(Indiana) didn’t have the best year but he got his players ready for the big games. It showed me how he can get the best out of his players.”

More: How Indiana's top ranked recruits from the past 15 years have fared

'Thanks, Romeo': New Albany star's storied high school career comes to sudden end

While the draw of Kansas is obvious as the Jayhawks prepare for another Final Four appearance this week, some wonder why Langford would consider Vanderbilt, a program coming off a 12-20 season under second-year coach Bryce Drew.

But Drew has secured commitments from McDonald’s All Americans in Garland and 6-10 Simisola Shittu, who Langford met for the first time this week.

“I think it’s (Drew) as a coach,” Langford said of Vanderbilt’s recruiting success. “It’s how smart he is and his resume playing in the (NBA).”

Langford, who finished with 3,002 points to rank fourth in the history of Indiana high school boys basketball, joked his recruitment does not come up that often among his peers. “They don’t care that much, I’m not going to lie,” he said. His roommate this week, Coby White, is a North Carolina recruit who took a visit with Langford to UNC.

“Romeo is a cool, funny and goofy guy,” White said. “He’s a real genuine and humble, down-to-earth dude. He disappointed me when he dropped (North Carolina) from his list. But I’m with it if that’s what he felt like he had to do.”

The NBA is the dream for Langford, who will get the chance to play on the Atlanta Hawks home court Wednesday night. He said he is not looking at his college experience in terms of a one-and-done situation necessarily. “However long it takes,” he said.

But the same does not apply to his decision. There will be a decision coming next month, likely from his hometown of New Albany.

“One-hundred percent,” Langford said. “Definitely April.”

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6644.

Doyel: Romeo ruthless on the court, gracious off it — which only adds to the legend

More from Langford ...

Langford’s wrists have been bothering him but not enough to keep him from playing Fortnite, a video game that is the rage among teenagers. He plays against several of his McDonald’s All American teammates. “Who is the best?” he asked. “Me.”

On Kansas making the Final Four: “I guess I wasn’t surprised. Coach (Bill) Self gets his players ready and gets them up for big games.”

On making it from college to the NBA: “However many years it takes. It doesn’t matter how many years as long as I make it.”

On watching a girls player, 6-7 Texas recruit Sedona Prince, dunk at the Jam Fest on Monday night: “It was crazy. That’s the first time I’ve seen a girl dunk in person.”

On the most emotion he has shown in a game: “If it wasn’t when we won state (in 2016), it was when I missed a wide-open dunk in a game. I think it was earlier this year. I thought it went in and it was in like the third row in the stands. I just laughed.”

On how his personality differs off the court: “I’m goofy. Some people say I talk too much. I like making people laugh. I can’t do one day without trying to make somebody laugh.”

On signing autographs and taking pictures with fans after every game: “If they wanted to take time out of their day, I’m going to stay and give them what they want. I like to see that I’m making their day just to see me play and get my name on a piece of paper.”

On losing on a last-second shot to Warren Central in the semistate: “Every time I see a video similar to that last shot, I swipe up and close the app. But I’m over it. There’s nothing I can do about it now.”