Sometimes you don't know what you had until you lost it. South Bend Adams guard Rosey Green had a lot of promise.
And then, a year and a half ago, he threw it all away.
"It was a bad decision I made during school," Green said. "I got in another scuffle with another kid."
Far too often, this story has a predicable ending. But Rosey Green's story is a comeback story.
"They kicked me out for a year and I had a lot of time to think," Green said. "And I really got my mind straight and got back on the right track.
"I was just grateful to get another chance."
He says he no longer takes basketball for granted. And that appreciation makes him work harder.
"I also took my schoolwork for granted," Green said. "But then after I got kicked out of school, I realized basketball is not going to be there my entire life, so I had to get the best of my education."
Green says he's now on track for a 3.0 GPA. He also holds down steady job as cashier at Martins. In fact, he even went to work the morning of the sectional finals.
"If your best player is your hardest worker," Adams coach Milt Cooper said, "you're going to be successful."
Which is why, as one of Adams' only two seniors, he makes such an effective leader as well.
"Rosey leads by example. He's not a 'rah-rah, come on guys' (kind of guy)," Cooper said. "Rosey plays so hard and gets after it so much, you'd be embarrassed not to give your best."
His return has made an immediate impact. Not only were his 19 points per game second in the NIC in scoring, but he's led Adams in to regionals.
