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By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Hometown hero Rawle Alkins made a stop home in New York on his journey to greatness.
The Brooklyn native and former Christ the King star, who currently plays for North Carolina’s Word of God Academy, is entering the last leg of the college-recruitment process, and he was back in New York City for two games at the Big Apple Basketball Invitational at Baruch College over Martin Luther King weekend. The Canarsie native received his Scholastic Aptitude Test scores and will begin scheduling official visits to his numerous college suitors, he announced after an 86–78 loss to Genesis Prep on Saturday night.
Alkins, Rival
“From there, it is picking a school,” Alkins said.
He will have to miss some of Word of God’s games to visit the schools and hasn’t set his itinerary yet, he said. Alkins texted every school on his list, and they want him on their campus as soon as possible, he said.
But one thing is certain after he spent a year away at school: Distance will not be a factor in his decision.
“I know the life that I want to choose — I’m going to be away from home regardless,” Alkins said. “College — I am going to travel everywhere. I’m not going to be home even if I go to a local school.”
The 6-foot-4 Alkins, who is playing in the five boroughs for the second time this year, rebounded from a slow start and foul trouble against Genesis. He scored 19 of his 24 points in the second half and grabbed 10 rebounds. His best sequence came midway through the fourth quarter, when he buried a three from the right side and converted a beautiful spin move for a layup, pulling his team within 72–66 with 4:17 to play. But his best efforts weren’t enough.
“I would have liked to have won the game, but unfortunately it didn’t happen,” Alkins said.
He did not return to Christ the King, because he was not eligible to play his fifth high-school season in the CHSAA after playing varsity games in Florida before returning home.
Alkins helped Christ the King produce an unprecedented era of winning. He is the only player in school history to win three Catholic High School Athletic Association Intersectional titles and also win two state-level, Federation Class AA crowns. Last season, Alkins became the first boys player at Christ the King to record a triple-double.
In some ways, he misses playing with Christ the King — and in front of in packed gyms. Word of God enrolled just 230 students compared to Christ the King’s 900.
“I miss the people, some of my friends,” Alkins said.
He is enjoying the simple things during the short stay in New York City — a night in his family’s Brooklyn home, pizza, and a chat with local reporters.
Alkins’s return has been a homecoming, mother Derline Zephir said.
“Everyone is screaming out his name, jumping on him, hugging him, kissing him,” she said.
Alkins has adjusted to life in North Carolina in more isolation than he is use to, but he is still a city kid at heart. His family has made the trip down a few times to watch him play and check in. But here are times that there really is nothing to do down there, and Alkins gets bored, he said. His mother bnelieves the time away will ease his college transition, she said.
“It’s a start of being responsible,” Zephir said. “As much as it is hard not having him around, it’s showing him how focus.”
Alkins’s attention, when he is not on the court, can now fully focus on finding his next destination — his recruitment’s final phase is a go.