Rawle finds God

Former CK star enrolls at Carolina prep school

RAWLE ALKINS has officially walked away from New York City. And now he’s following in the footsteps of John Wall.

Alkins, the former Christ the King basketball star, enrolled last week at Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, N.C., the same school John Wall played at before starring for the University of Kentucky and then the NBA’s Wizards.

Alkins had officially announced that he was leaving Christ the King on July 2, following a junior year in which he led the Royals to a third straight CHSAA city championship.

He decided to leave the Middile Village, Queens school because his senior year eligibility was in doubt due to some varsity games he played as an eighth grader in Florida.

Christ the King coach Joe Arbitello said Alkins took his time picking a new school because he wanted to be sure.

“He was just looking for a place he liked, a place that fit, a place where he liked the coaches,” said Arbitello, who supported Alkins’ decision to leave and has stayed close with the player. “He made the decision with his mother and they made an educated decision.”

“At this point I think any place would have been a good fit for him,” Arbitello added. “He’s a tremendous player and a good kid. It's not like he needs anything special. He's a good student. So I think he would have done well no matter where he ended up.” Since CHSAA officials would not have ruled on Alkins’ eligibility until this month, he would have risked missing the upcoming season had the decision not gone in his favor. And he has a lot riding on his senior year since he is one of the most-highly recruited players in the country, with almost every major program making a run at him. St. John’s, with new coach Chris Mullin, still has a chance to land the 6-4 swingman.

“I would have liked to have coached Rawle his whole life,” Arbitello said. “But that wasn't gonna happen. It's not like we were gonna be a package deal. So if it didn't happen now, it was gonna happen next year.”