11 things you probably don't know about Arizona Wildcats freshman Rawle Alkins
- Updated
There's more to Rawle than you might think.
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Quiet. Consistent. Powerful.
Arizona Wildcats freshman guard Rawle Alkins is all of the above. He's been the UA's most consistent freshman this year, averaging 11.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field.
He hasn't hit a freshman wall or endured a multiple-game slump like UA's other newcomers.
"Rawle's been as consistent of a freshman as we've ever had," coach Sean Miller said. "It starts off the court by how he approaches school, how he approaches being on time, what he's like when he doesn't play well, what he's like in the early-season workouts."
While he's quickly becoming a fan favorite, there are also a handful of things you don't know about Alkins. Here's a breakdown of all the things that make Rawle, Rawle.
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Let's start with the basics.
Rawle is 6-foot-5-inch, 220-pound freshman. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in the working-class Canarsie neighborhood of southeast Brooklyn.
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Rawle was born on Oct. 29, 1997. He's 19 years old. The Wildcats freshman wasn't even alive when Arizona won its national championship 20 years ago.
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Rawle has always been physically gifted and talented on the basketball court — even as a youngster. And people noticed.
As an eighth-grader, he was invited to the Palm Beach Central High School varsity team.
Rawle played only eight games for Central before becoming academically ineligible, according to the New York Daily News; he then moved back to New York.
— Bruce Pascoe
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Rawle attended Christ the King High School in Queens for three years. He started making an impact right away as a freshman.
"He was so good, and when he got here we had the best team," Christ the King coach Joe Arbitello said. "But he was OK with coming off the bench as a freshman. He scored 17 in the state championship to win it and after that point, he was the guy."
The winning didn't stop there. Rawle led his school to a number of championships during his three years there.
"We won three city titles with him and two state championships," Arbitello said.
— Bruce Pascoe
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Eventually, Rawle's high school dominance became a problem.
During his third season at Christ the King, it surfaced that he had played with the Palm Beach Central varsity team as an eighth-grader.
His time on the team counted as a "season" of high school eligibility, even though he played in just eight games.
Arbitello tried to appeal the Catholic High School Athletic Association to allow Rawle to play as a senior in 2014-15, but said he wasn't going to get an answer until that September.
Rawle wondered if he was being singled out.
"I have a feeling if I wasn't the type of player I am today, where I'm getting all this national attention, if I wasn't that good, they'd let me play and wouldn't care," Alkins told the New York Daily News as a junior. "But the fact that I'm talented is hurting me."
Eventually, Arbitello advised Rawle to leave even before a ruling came down. The best player in New York City sought a new home for his senior year, or what would be known as his fifth season in basketball terms.
"The truth of the matter is we play in the best league in the country, we won three city championships with Rawle, and somebody brought up the question of his eligibility," Arbitello said. "We could have waited to see if they made him eligible or not but I just said to him and his mother it's unfair to a kid to start over in another school in September, so I told him and his parents they should get him enrolled somewhere else."
Rawle headed to play as a fifth-year senior at Word of God Academy in Raleigh, N.C., the city that shares a pronunciation with Alkins' first name but little else. Rawle said he enjoyed being in such a basketball-crazy area, taking unofficial visits to North Carolina and North Carolina State, but found the academic side wasn't working out.
Having left Christ the King as a junior who still needed work to get eligible for college, Alkins said he struggled in Raleigh. He left the Word of God team just before its final regular-season tournament in order to focus on academics.
"If it was up to me, I would have spent my senior year at Christ the King, but I had to look for a prep school," Rawle said. "I wouldn't say it was a good year because I didn't finish the year out. I was focusing on college and on trying to qualify for college, studying for SATs."
The diversion from basketball dealt Alkins a publicity hit. Because he was ruled a fifth-year senior, that meant he wasn't eligible for a possible selection in the McDonald's All-Star Game, while he also didn't play in the Jordan Brand Classic. He didn't resurface again until he had 23 points and 11 rebounds in the Capital Classic at Washington, D.C., in late April.
Of course, none of that ever really fooled college basketball recruiters. Provided he could get eligible — and Alkins said he knew he would by the spring — he was still being courted by all the usual elite powers.
Eventually, he chose Arizona as his future home.
— Bruce Pascoe
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
One thing has held true throughout all of the ups and downs, success and adversity. Rawle is ultra competitive. All he wants to do is win.
Arbitello said Rawle was the most competitive player he's ever coached.
"Rawle's only got one thing on his mind. Basketball. That's it," said Arbitello, who played at Christ the King along with Lamar Odom in the 1990s. "Any of the great players are like that. They don't play Xbox or even talk to girls that much. They have only one thing on their mind.
"I truly believe Rawle made the decision (to go to UA) based on winning."
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Rawle says his Arizona experience has been "amazing" so far, but there are times when he's less enthusiastic.
"The thing I don't like about Tucson is it will rain for, like, 10 seconds and then it will get sunny again," Rawle said. It's "bipolar."
Not much he can do about that. Tucson does, after all, boast about 350 days of sunshine every year.
Rawle set out in January to overcome another issue here he can control. Since he can't exactly take subways to get around in Tucson — and was getting tired of paying for Uber rides — Rawle decided to study for his driver's license. He said he has often practiced late at night while driving with a cousin who came out to Tucson with him this year.
"Haven't done the highway yet, so I don't know what to expect on the test," Rawle said just before he and his cousin planned to leave for the DMV. "I know the rules and stuff. I did the written part. Practiced. So hopefully I do well.
"Pray for me, guys."
Rawle later got his license.
— Bruce Pascoe
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Rawle struggled to adjust to the college game during his first few months at Arizona. He had a hard time playing with new teammates and under new coaches.
But he relied on the same thing he's relied on his whole life to get to where he wants to be — hard work.
"In practice the first day, I didn't know what I was doing," Rawle said. "It felt so uncomfortable, and it felt like I didn't know how to play basketball anymore."
This is where you'd think he might run into trouble again. A five-star talent who looks physically capable, yet was struggling to adjust and, before the UA's roster began falling apart this season, held no guarantee of extended playing time.
He could have taken a me-first approach, but that wasn't the precedent Arbitello found at Christ the King.
"Completely the opposite," Arbitello said. "I never heard him curse. His mother raised him the right way. Nobody around him, or his mother, ever said one word about him getting enough shots. That guy did everything, and he defended. He played great defense."
That trend has continued at Arizona.
"Rawle's been as consistent of a freshman as we've ever had," Miller said. "It starts off the court by how he approaches school, how he approaches being on time, what he's like when he doesn't play well, what he's like in the early-season workouts."
The work paid off: Rawle was named to the Pac-12 all-freshman team.
— Bruce Pascoe
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Sometimes freshmen fall flat on their faces when the biggest games arrive. But not Rawle.
He just puts his head down and grinds, so the lights don't blind him.
In his first-ever NCAA Tournament game Thursday night, Rawle was Arizona's brightest star. He led the Wildcats in scoring with 20 points — and didn't miss a shot in the process.
He shot 8 for 8 from the field, 2 for 2 from 3-point range and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line.
He also led the Wildcats in assists, dishing out five dimes. He also grabbed four rebounds, blocked a shot and didn't turn the ball over a single time.
Rawle's best is seemingly yet to come.
The @Iam_RawleAlkins heard round the world. #ArizonaWildcats pic.twitter.com/QuFXhj5icE
— Mike Christy (@wildcatphotog) March 17, 2017
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Despite his tough, hard-nosed personality and exceptional work ethic, Rawle's a softy at heart.
"Rawle is tough, but everyone got their little soft spot somewhere," Arizona center Chance Comanche said, "and he be showing that every once in a while."
No wonder Rawle is earning a spot in the hearts of Arizona fans.
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
Quiet. Consistent. Powerful.
Arizona Wildcats freshman guard Rawle Alkins is all of the above. He's been the UA's most consistent freshman this year, averaging 11.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field.
He hasn't hit a freshman wall or endured a multiple-game slump like UA's other newcomers.
"Rawle's been as consistent of a freshman as we've ever had," coach Sean Miller said. "It starts off the court by how he approaches school, how he approaches being on time, what he's like when he doesn't play well, what he's like in the early-season workouts."
While he's quickly becoming a fan favorite, there are also a handful of things you don't know about Alkins. Here's a breakdown of all the things that make Rawle, Rawle.
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
Rawle has always been physically gifted and talented on the basketball court — even as a youngster. And people noticed.
As an eighth-grader, he was invited to the Palm Beach Central High School varsity team.
Rawle played only eight games for Central before becoming academically ineligible, according to the New York Daily News; he then moved back to New York.
— Bruce Pascoe
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
Rawle attended Christ the King High School in Queens for three years. He started making an impact right away as a freshman.
"He was so good, and when he got here we had the best team," Christ the King coach Joe Arbitello said. "But he was OK with coming off the bench as a freshman. He scored 17 in the state championship to win it and after that point, he was the guy."
The winning didn't stop there. Rawle led his school to a number of championships during his three years there.
"We won three city titles with him and two state championships," Arbitello said.
— Bruce Pascoe
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
Eventually, Rawle's high school dominance became a problem.
During his third season at Christ the King, it surfaced that he had played with the Palm Beach Central varsity team as an eighth-grader.
His time on the team counted as a "season" of high school eligibility, even though he played in just eight games.
Arbitello tried to appeal the Catholic High School Athletic Association to allow Rawle to play as a senior in 2014-15, but said he wasn't going to get an answer until that September.
Rawle wondered if he was being singled out.
"I have a feeling if I wasn't the type of player I am today, where I'm getting all this national attention, if I wasn't that good, they'd let me play and wouldn't care," Alkins told the New York Daily News as a junior. "But the fact that I'm talented is hurting me."
Eventually, Arbitello advised Rawle to leave even before a ruling came down. The best player in New York City sought a new home for his senior year, or what would be known as his fifth season in basketball terms.
"The truth of the matter is we play in the best league in the country, we won three city championships with Rawle, and somebody brought up the question of his eligibility," Arbitello said. "We could have waited to see if they made him eligible or not but I just said to him and his mother it's unfair to a kid to start over in another school in September, so I told him and his parents they should get him enrolled somewhere else."
Rawle headed to play as a fifth-year senior at Word of God Academy in Raleigh, N.C., the city that shares a pronunciation with Alkins' first name but little else. Rawle said he enjoyed being in such a basketball-crazy area, taking unofficial visits to North Carolina and North Carolina State, but found the academic side wasn't working out.
Having left Christ the King as a junior who still needed work to get eligible for college, Alkins said he struggled in Raleigh. He left the Word of God team just before its final regular-season tournament in order to focus on academics.
"If it was up to me, I would have spent my senior year at Christ the King, but I had to look for a prep school," Rawle said. "I wouldn't say it was a good year because I didn't finish the year out. I was focusing on college and on trying to qualify for college, studying for SATs."
The diversion from basketball dealt Alkins a publicity hit. Because he was ruled a fifth-year senior, that meant he wasn't eligible for a possible selection in the McDonald's All-Star Game, while he also didn't play in the Jordan Brand Classic. He didn't resurface again until he had 23 points and 11 rebounds in the Capital Classic at Washington, D.C., in late April.
Of course, none of that ever really fooled college basketball recruiters. Provided he could get eligible — and Alkins said he knew he would by the spring — he was still being courted by all the usual elite powers.
Eventually, he chose Arizona as his future home.
— Bruce Pascoe
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
One thing has held true throughout all of the ups and downs, success and adversity. Rawle is ultra competitive. All he wants to do is win.
Arbitello said Rawle was the most competitive player he's ever coached.
"Rawle's only got one thing on his mind. Basketball. That's it," said Arbitello, who played at Christ the King along with Lamar Odom in the 1990s. "Any of the great players are like that. They don't play Xbox or even talk to girls that much. They have only one thing on their mind.
"I truly believe Rawle made the decision (to go to UA) based on winning."
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
Rawle says his Arizona experience has been "amazing" so far, but there are times when he's less enthusiastic.
"The thing I don't like about Tucson is it will rain for, like, 10 seconds and then it will get sunny again," Rawle said. It's "bipolar."
Not much he can do about that. Tucson does, after all, boast about 350 days of sunshine every year.
Rawle set out in January to overcome another issue here he can control. Since he can't exactly take subways to get around in Tucson — and was getting tired of paying for Uber rides — Rawle decided to study for his driver's license. He said he has often practiced late at night while driving with a cousin who came out to Tucson with him this year.
"Haven't done the highway yet, so I don't know what to expect on the test," Rawle said just before he and his cousin planned to leave for the DMV. "I know the rules and stuff. I did the written part. Practiced. So hopefully I do well.
"Pray for me, guys."
Rawle later got his license.
— Bruce Pascoe
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
Rawle struggled to adjust to the college game during his first few months at Arizona. He had a hard time playing with new teammates and under new coaches.
But he relied on the same thing he's relied on his whole life to get to where he wants to be — hard work.
"In practice the first day, I didn't know what I was doing," Rawle said. "It felt so uncomfortable, and it felt like I didn't know how to play basketball anymore."
This is where you'd think he might run into trouble again. A five-star talent who looks physically capable, yet was struggling to adjust and, before the UA's roster began falling apart this season, held no guarantee of extended playing time.
He could have taken a me-first approach, but that wasn't the precedent Arbitello found at Christ the King.
"Completely the opposite," Arbitello said. "I never heard him curse. His mother raised him the right way. Nobody around him, or his mother, ever said one word about him getting enough shots. That guy did everything, and he defended. He played great defense."
That trend has continued at Arizona.
"Rawle's been as consistent of a freshman as we've ever had," Miller said. "It starts off the court by how he approaches school, how he approaches being on time, what he's like when he doesn't play well, what he's like in the early-season workouts."
The work paid off: Rawle was named to the Pac-12 all-freshman team.
— Bruce Pascoe
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
Sometimes freshmen fall flat on their faces when the biggest games arrive. But not Rawle.
He just puts his head down and grinds, so the lights don't blind him.
In his first-ever NCAA Tournament game Thursday night, Rawle was Arizona's brightest star. He led the Wildcats in scoring with 20 points — and didn't miss a shot in the process.
He shot 8 for 8 from the field, 2 for 2 from 3-point range and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line.
He also led the Wildcats in assists, dishing out five dimes. He also grabbed four rebounds, blocked a shot and didn't turn the ball over a single time.
Rawle's best is seemingly yet to come.
The @Iam_RawleAlkins heard round the world. #ArizonaWildcats pic.twitter.com/QuFXhj5icE
— Mike Christy (@wildcatphotog) March 17, 2017
- Drew McCullough Arizona Daily Star
Despite his tough, hard-nosed personality and exceptional work ethic, Rawle's a softy at heart.
"Rawle is tough, but everyone got their little soft spot somewhere," Arizona center Chance Comanche said, "and he be showing that every once in a while."
No wonder Rawle is earning a spot in the hearts of Arizona fans.
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