Following an unofficial visit to Arizona for Thursday’s Oregon game, Rawle Alkins will take his first official visit to St. John’s beginning Saturday.
The Johnnies host Villanova on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
St.Johns Official Visit Tomorrow ✈️
– Rawle Alkins (@Iam_RawleAlkins) January 29, 2016
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St. John’s pitch will include the fact that head coach Chris Mullin is the only coach recruiting Alkins to have played his position in the NBA. Mullin is a former member of the Dream Team and a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame.
Mullin, whose team is struggling this year at 7-14, 0-8 Big East, and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino watched the 6-foot-4 New York native on MLK Day at Baruch College, but Alkins did not play well, scoring just 11 points in a Word of God Academy (N.C.) loss against South Kent (CT).
On Friday night, however, Alkins went for 38 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists in his Homecoming game at Word of God against Faith Assembly. He flies to New York on Saturday.
Alkins remains a major target for the Johnnies, who already have New York natives Shamorie Ponds and Bashir Ahmed committed for 2016. The Johnnies are also involved for 7-footer Thon Maker of Orangeville Prep (Ontario), who recently took an unoffiical to St. John’s and may take an official as well.
St. John’s staff and fans probably have to hope that Alkins gets homesick while in North Carolina for a year at Word of God.
“I know the life that I want to choose, I’m going to be away from home regardless,” he said at the Big Apple Basketball Invitational. “College, I’m going to travel everywhere. I’m not even going to be home if I go to a local school. I’m not even going to be home, so location is not a factor.”
As for Arizona, they are making a hard push, too.
I loved my Arizona visit ������⚪️ #WILDCATS pic.twitter.com/C82b59UR2p
– Rawle Alkins (@Iam_RawleAlkins) January 29, 2016
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After speaking with head coach Sean Miller and assistant Book Richardson, a New York native, Alkins recently added Arizona onto his list — which now stands at nine schools. Arizona sees Alkins as being similar in body type to Stanley Johnson, a former lottery pick out of Arizona, and are pitching that comparison to Alkins.
Alkins told me on his recent trip to the Big Apple that Kobi Simmons texted him the day Simmons committed to Arizona and wanted to bring Alkins along.
“So before he committed, he texted me, he was like, ‘Are you ready?’ So I mean he’s pretty cool. I played a lot with him over the summer, USA Basketball, adidas Nations, all of that stuff.”
“I think [Simmons] is going to probably be the primary ball-handler, though, if I end up going there,” Alkins added. “They’re talking about getting Josh Jackson, too, so if they get [Simmons], Josh Jackson, me and imagine if Allonzo Trier stays another year, so who knows?”
Alkins is currently working with a list of nine schools: North Carolina, N.C. State, Arizona, Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas, UNLV, St John’s and Indiana.
SLICE VISITS TREVON DUVAL
In other St. John’s news, assistant Barry “Slice” Rohrssen watched 2017 point guard Trevon Duval of Advanced Prep International on Thursday.
The Delaware native also picked up an Oklahoma offer this week after their staff watched him on Wednesday.
The St. Benedict’s Prep transfer is the top point guard in the Class of 2017 and holds offers from Arizona, Indiana, Louisville, Maryland, Syracuse, UConn, Kansas, Oregon, UCLA, N.C. State, Rutgers, Seton Hall and St. John’s, among others.
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