The first venture in basketball for Lockport’s Anthony Kosi found him wearing Carolina blue.
Kosi was recruited by former Porters standout Jeff Green for a youth team when he was in fourth grade.
“I was excited,” Kosi said. “At that time, I was playing football, but it wasn’t for me. We were in the Homer Athletic Club league, and we all represented college teams.
“We were North Carolina, and that was pretty awesome. We wore the blue. I think my mom has that jersey saved somewhere.”
The 6-foot-3 senior guard hopes to suit up for a real college next season. While the Tar Heels aren’t knocking on his door, he is talking with other schools and has offers from Rockford, Aurora and St. Scholastica.
Kosi added a few more highlights for his film Friday night. He scored 14 points, including 11 in the second quarter, to help host Lockport open the SouthWest Suburban Conference with a 70-56 victory over Lincoln-Way West.
Senior forward Collin Miller led the Porters (4-2, 1-0) with 17 points. He also had four rebounds and a blocked shot. Nedas Venckus came off the bench and pulled down seven rebounds.
Wyatt Carlson led Lincoln-Way West (2-3, 0-1) with 28 points and Max Gabriel added 11. Carlson was the only Warrior to score from the field in the first half, ending up with 18 of their 21 points.
“He’s been playing so well for us,” Lincoln-Way West coach Tanner Mitchell said of Carlson. “Last year, he had a 30-point game, but with our seniors, he was seeing opponents’ third and fourth defenders.
“Now, he’s facing their top defender and doing well.”
Kosi, however, provided a huge highlight in the second quarter that had the crowd and Lockport’s bench going wild.
After intercepting a pass at mid-court, Kosi drove, missed the shot, got the offensive rebound and was knocked to the ground while he tried to shoot. Somehow, the ball went through the hoop.
“I don’t think he knew the ball went in,” Lockport coach Dave Wilson said of Kosi’s shot. “That’s one of those plays where it’s a good moment. He’s a senior doing that in front of the home crowd.
“It’s not expected. It’s not seen often. It was a tough finish. The crowd erupted. We needed the bucket. It’s cool. It’s a nice pumped-up moment.”
Kosi was pumped up when it happened, putting the Porters up 23-10 with 5:14 left in the half.
“I was upset that I missed the shot and gave all my energy to get the rebound,” Kosi said. “I threw the ball up, and I got really excited that I made the shot.
“I was on the floor, but I knew it went in when my friends were yelling. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ That was a great play.”
Later in his red-hot second quarter, Kosi hit a 3-pointer to put the Porters ahead 34-18.
“I definitely love to hit the 3-pointers,” he said. “But once teams notice that’s what I like to do, I like to get inside and make some layups and get to the free-throw line, too.”
Kosi has a pair of coaches in his corner. After Kosi scored 13 points and had seven rebounds against Lemont in the WJOL Thanksgiving Classic, former Lockport coach Brett Hespell took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say “Keep working hard Kosi!”
Kosi also has a fan in Wilson, who’s in his second year coaching at Lockport.
“He’s a hooper, man — he gives everything he’s got,” Wilson said of Kosi. “He’s super coachable and has a great personality. He works his butt off. He’s good for our younger kids.
“He practices hard. He takes the weight room seriously. He takes being coached seriously. He’s important when you are trying sustain consistency in a program.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
