NEW YORK — Rawle Alkins went for 12 points Saturday night when the New York City sophomores beat their New Jersey counterparts, 116-103, in the Sharette Dixon Memorial Classic at the Gauchos Gym.
The 2016 shooting guard from Christ the King holds offers from Villanova, Cincinnati, Seton Hall, Rutgers and Fordham and figures to add more going forward.
“I talk to Jay Wright every now and then,” Alkins said of the Villanova coach. “He likes my game. I like Villanova, it’s cool.”
As for Cincinnati, assistant Darren Savino is recruiting him, and Alkins knows that former Brooklyn Lincoln star Lance Stephenson spent a year with the Bearcats before getting drafted by the Indiana Pacers.
“They say I look like him, they say I play like him. That’s what the guy who recruited me [Savino] said,” Alkins said.
Seton Hall assistant Oliver Antigua is also recruiting Alkins after the Pirates recently landed New York stars Isaiah Whitehead and Khadeen Carrington, who are dreaming of taking the Pirates to a Final Four.
“They came to one of my workouts probably three weeks ago,” Alkins said.
Alkins said he has no favorites, adding, “I want to go somewhere where I can start my own legacy. I want to go to a school where I can make an impact as a freshman.”
Alkins is ranked No. 19 nationally by Rivals in the Class of 2016, and longtime New York recruiting expert Tom Konchalski gave this analysis.
“He has a man’s body right now and he’s very athletic,” he said. “But he defends. [CTK coach] Joe Arbitello used him to defend the other team’s best player, regardless of position.
“He’s very strong physically and he has a good skill level. He can handle the ball and he can make open 3’s. He plays very, very hard and he plays both sides of the ball.”
FREE THROWS
For the New York sophomores, Omari Spellman had 21 points and also visited Manhattan unofficially Saturday. Unique McLean and Devonte Green tallied 18 apiece….For New Jersey, Bryce Aiken led the team with 20 points, Temple Gibbs had 19, Najja Hunter 18 and Asante Gist 14.
