By Joseph Staszewski
Christ the King star Rawle Alkins removed some of the uncertainty surrounding his basketball future.
The highly recruited guard didn’t wait for the CHSAA to decide whether he would be eligible to compete for another year with the Royals after playing varsity games as an eighth grader in Florida. He announced on social media last week that he will leave Christ the King and play his final season at a prep school to be determined.
“#3Peat will never be forgotten!,” Alkins posted on Twitter. “Time to announce that I will be attending prep school next year !! I will always rep [NYC]”
Had Alkins chosen to stick it out, he would have had to wait until the beginning of the school year in September to get a ruling from the league’s Student Eligibility Committee. Christ the King coach Joe Arbitello agrees the move was in Alkins’ best interest under the circumstance.
“The worst is he transfers, he gets involved, he’s there since August,” Arbitello said. “He will flow. He will have a really good year. He will be an All-American. That will work out. If he stays until September and they say ‘No’ to him, then he has to pack up and leave in October. It’s just not going to be good for him. There is too much at stake.”
The coach said he didn’t have any insight on how the CHSAA’s decision would go had things gotten that far and no formal discussions regarding the possible outcome took place. The CHSAA is known to be a strict interpreter of rules. Arbitello did say that he believes in other leagues Alkins would have been eligible already.
“The CHSAA needs to get its act together,” Arbitello said.
Alkins, who did not return messages, has said all along he would prefer to stay at Christ the King and chase a fourth straight CHSAA Class AA Intersectional title and a third state Federation crown in four years. He and Arbitello have developed a special bond and Alkins is very close to his family, especially his mother Derline Zephir. The 6-foot-4 small forward is the 22nd ranked player in his class, according to ESPN. He is being recruited by all of the top colleges in the country, including St. John’s.
“He’s got to make a self decision, because he could be two years away from being drafted,” Arbitello said. “Three years. He needs to understand that this is what has to be done.”
Arbitello isn’t worried about his own team coping with the loss of Alkins in the lineup as it looks to win a fourth straight CHSAA crown. The Royals still return point guard Jose Alvarado, forwards Yashawn Bright, Tyrone Cohen and center David Cole.
“I think we were under the impression we were going to win with or without him.next year,” Arbitello said. “The only person who reached out to me was Rawle, saying I hope you get that four-peat, Coach.”
