Josh Cornish talks about his commitment to Southern Utah
2018 guard Josh Cornish has seen his name in headlines often the past couple of months. After lighting up the AAU scene for Team Melo Red, Cornish made the decision to transfer from Calvert Hall to Dulaney for his senior season. Most recently, Cornish made his decision to commit to Southern Utah, which was his only Division I offer.
PrepHoops caught up with Cornish to discuss what went into making his decision.
PrepHoops: You made a lot of noise this AAU season and had a lot of different coaches speaking highly of you. What made you decide to commit to Southern Utah so suddenly?
Cornish: It was kind of sudden. I got together with my mom and Dwayne [Wise] (Team Melo’s recruiting coordinator) and we talked about how I’ve always had the most interest in Southern Utah because they offered me first. I talk to them frequently and have a great relationship with the coaches already, so I didn’t want to have pressure to show off for coaches every single workout. I wanted to be able to focus on my senior season and enjoy it.
PrepHoops: There were a lot of schools on the borderline of offering you since watching you play this spring/summer. Did you have doubt that they would and is that what ultimately led you to your commitment?
Cornish: I mean, they may have offered me, but they just kept saying they needed to see me more. I was just getting tired of it, really.
PrepHoops: What was the coaching staff’s reaction when you told them that you decided to commit?
Cornish: They were happy and jumping around. Everyone was giving high fives and they were like “today’s a good day.” It was a great feeling.
PrepHoops: Has Coach Simon talked to you about how they’re going to utilize your abilities in their system?
Cornish: They like fast, scoring guards. They play at a high pace and I already like that style of offense anyway since I played in systems like that for Team Melo and Calvert Hall. I like to score and Coach Simon likes small scoring guards. I’m not that tall, so I knew it would be a great environment for me because they embrace that.
PrepHoops: Have you visited the campus yet?
Cornish: I haven’t, but I’m scheduled to go the first weekend in September, so I’m looking forward to that.
PrepHoops: You said before that making this decision takes a lot of weight off your shoulders for this high school season. What are you looking forward to most?
Cornish: It was a big reason why I made the decision now. I want to enjoy my senior year and focus on getting my grades up. Also I get to play with my brother (Ike Cornish ’21) and make sure he stays focused. Then with guys like Ryan [Conway] and Che [Evans] making sure I am clear-headed so I can be a leader for them as well. I won’t have to worry about getting another offer or have the stress of performing perfectly in a workout to earn another offer. Now I can just focus on leading our team to a good season and improving my grades.