Rawle Alkins has never lacked for confidence.
The 6-foot-4 Brooklyn native has a New York cockiness and that was on display Friday night before Arizona’s Red-Blue Game.
Alkins asked head coach Sean Miller to hold a basketball over his head as a prop in the dunk contest. And yes, not only did Alkins avoid kicking his new coach in the head, but he went on to win with this performance. Alkins’ dunk also made No. 5 on the SportsCenter Top 10.
Rawle Alkins wins the Red-Blue Dunk contest! Gusty, but STRONG @Iam_RawleAlkins https://t.co/GHjRYFlgkL
— AZ Wildcat Country (@Wildcat_Country) October 15, 2016
“To his credit, he asked me two weeks ago, one week ago, before the game and then again before the game,” Miller told Don MacLean of the Pac-12 Network. “Rawle’s a great kid. We cut a deal. As long as he lets me make him play defense, I let him to do that dunk.”
Alkins is one of several talented freshmen at Arizona, along with guard Kobi Simmons and 7-footer Lauri Markkanen, who should blend with returners like Allonzo Trier, Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Kadeem Allen and Dusan Ristic to make the Wildcats a dangerous team this year.
“I think college basketball has become so much about the freshmen and we have a few very talented ones, but this game always reminds me of the value of experience,” Miller said. “The players that have been through a season, multiple seasons, have been in this game before, they’re more sure of themselves.”
Miller singled out Jackson-Carwright and Trier for gaining strength and experience after a year on campus.
“Whoever we are in November, we hope to be a lot better in December and January and I think we have the makings of that type of team,” Miller said.
As for Internet rumblings that Trier, the team’s best returning player, would be suspended for the entire season for PED use, Miller told reporters: “I can’t really respond. I think you’re talking about the rumors that are out there, and I can’t respond to that.”
