The ‘drive’: Glenn Cosey talks about the college experience at Columbus State

GLH goes man-to-man with former Flint C-A standout guard Glenn Cosey.

Perhaps no high school player in all my years covering the game has been more difficult to evaluate than Glenn Cosey. In the summer before his sophomore season, I had him tabbed as one of the top point guards in his class in Michigan. Then, of course, he got put on the junior varsity team at Carman-Ainsworth.

That, as it turned out, was all the inspiration he needed to set his future in motion. He could have just sold the slight as playing behind a pair of really good varsity guards — Jon Lee and Reggie Stallings. Rather, he just went out and became the best JV player in the county.

It’s called a drive, and it’s what he’s known for.

“I get the drive from people saying I can’t do something; I just love to prove people wrong,” said Cosey, now a freshman at Columbus State in Ohio. “My 10th grade year in high school, when I didn’t play varsity, I had to let it be known that I’m very talented and it gave me the drive I needed. Plus, every time I step on the court, I want to be the best player even if I step on the court with professionals. I love working on my game because I feel I have a lot of areas to improve upon.”

A lot of players would be resting on their laurels right about now, if they could boast numbers like these: 16 points, six rebounds and four assists per game. Cosey is also shooting 48 percent from behind the arc this season, through 10 games.

He’s playing like the Glenn Cosey I watched in AAU; the same guy I saw win the Bruin Club All-Star MVP last summer. The competitive, ultra-aggressive power guard — a far cry from the player who was often encumbered by an anachronistic system at Carman-Ainsworth that was more suburb than city.

“When I won the MVP, I was making a statement that I’m ready for the next level, and I’m going to kill anybody who steps in front of me,” said Cosey, who scored 45 points to lead the city all-stars to victory.  “The system I’m in now is wonderful because the coaches let me play my game; they love everything I do but they also make me work hard too. They made me the captain, so I have no choice but to go hard every day because I’m held to a higher standard.”

In leading Columbus State to a 9-1 record, Cosey has also learned the importance of playing tough man-to-man defense.

“Defense keeps you on the floor,” he said. “Unlike high school, when you see a lot of zones — not too much in college.”

Cosey and Columbus State will play at St. Clair in Port Huron on Saturday at 3 p.m.