By AUSTIN GREEN
TREVISO, Italy — Rawle Alkins took his game overseas this past weekend and proved New York City is still producing some of the world’s elite basketball talent.
Alkins, a star at Christ the King and one of the top-rated guards in the Class of 2016, impressed NBA scouts and led Team USA to a 3-0 record at the 2015 Adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, Italy.
Sharing the court with some of the top young players around the world, Alkins was dominant. He physically overwhelmed more experienced competition, using his strength, athleticism and technical skills to put on a show in front of representatives from all 30 NBA teams.
Alkins holds offers from virtually every major program in the nation, including Kentucky, Kansas, Texas, Villanova, Indiana, Louisville, Cincinnati, N.C. State, St. John’s and more. Duke and North Carolina have also expressed interest.
Alkins scored a game-high 18 points on Day 1, hitting 7-of-8 shots in a 76-71 victory over France, including both of his three-point attempts. His shooting stroke was smooth, he handled the ball well in traffic, and he even threw in a couple monster highlights, including a chase-down block and an explosive two-hand dunk.
Rawle Alkins (@iam_rawlealkins) goes baseline for 2 of his 18 vs France at @adidaseurocamp! #adidaseurocamp https://t.co/jL7mNLN06n
— Hoopsfix ??? (@Hoopsfix) June 7, 2015
He struggled with his shot on Day 2, making only 2-of-10 from the field. But he still made a big impact, grabbing 7 rebounds and playing solid defense in Team USA’s 77-68 win over the EuroCamp All-Stars.
On Day 3, Alkins was back to his all-around dominant ways. He had 11 points, 5 rebounds and played suffocating defense in just 18 minutes of action. He also delivered one of the best highlights of the entire camp, a powerful one-hand slam.
Rawle Alkins (@iam_rawlealkins) punches huge dunk vs Greece on Day 3! #adidaseurocamp https://t.co/53hwjVYdF3
— Hoopsfix ??? (@Hoopsfix) June 8, 2015
After the camp, Team USA head coach Jerry Stackhouse said he was impressed by Alkins’ performance.
“He showed some unbelievable athleticism, the ability to shoot the ball and make plays for others,” Stackhouse said. “I think that’s the thing that you lose sight of with Rawle because he’s a scorer. But he’s a willing passer too.”
The team had just two practices together before starting the competition, and they had to make some adjustments to international play. Alkins said the biggest difference was the physical strength of Team USA’s opponents.
“We played against guys that are older than us by like three years and they’re very tough,” Alkins said. “The competition is way better defensive-wise. I feel like the physicality is a factor, but it’s only making me better.”
Alkins was joined on Team USA by Mustapha Heron, another highly recruited New York-area shooting guard. The two play together on the NY Rens AAU team and are receiving interest from many of the same schools.
Both players are close with Barry “Slice” Rohrssen, a long-time assistant who originally recruited Heron to Pitt and Alkins to Kentucky. Rohrssen is now on Chris Mullin’s staff at St. John’s, and NY Rens head coach Andy Borman recently told the New York Post that St. John’s is “doing everything right” in their recruitment of Alkins and Heron.
After Team USA’s final game in Italy, Stackhouse spoke highly of Heron, a 6-5 wing who plays at Sacred Heart High School in Connecticut and recently recommitted from Pittsburgh.
“Oh Mustapha, I love him, man,” Stackhouse said. “Just a great body, left-handed. He can take it off the bounce, can shoot the 3. I think he has the chance to be a top-notch defender as well. I just think he has that mentality, that feel.”
Stackhouse also mentioned point guard Frank Jackson and big man Edrice “Bam” Adebayo as standout performers in Italy. But he emphasized that the entire team was locked in and ready to play.
“It was a great experience, man. We got these guys together in a short amount of time and I think their attention to detail and just their effort was great across the board,” Stackhouse said. “You go across the board and every guy contributed in some way.”
Complete Adidas EuroCamp 2015 stats
Austin Green is a freelance basketball journalist living in Spain. You can follow him on Twitter @LosCrossovers.
