Every weekday morning, starting from the time he was 10, Rawle Alkins used to get up with the sun.

Living in Canarsie, New York, described as a "quiet suburban community on Brooklyn's south shore," Alkins used to walk himself to the train station every morning. He boarded the L Train at 7:30 a.m., transferred to the M Train, and after a 30-minute or so ride, arrived in the neighboring borough of Queens to go to school.

There was no carpool. No big yellow bus. No drop off right in front of the school.



For Alkins, a gentle giant of sorts, the streets of New York are where you start to get to understand the man he's become today. Crowded subway trains, streets filled with strangers in a world where it's every person for themselves—it's not for everybody.

It was, however, for Alkins.

"Growing up in New York, you see a lot of things; you hear about a lot of things," Alkins said recently. "You grow up faster there. It's the city that never sleeps. I like that. You have a rough edge coming from New York. You come a little tougher. It helps with everything you do."

One area it's undoubtedly helped Arizona's 6-foot-5-inch, 220-pound guard is the basketball court. Alkins takes no prisoners. He plays through pain. He's never met a floor burn he didn't like. Toughness, as they say in New York City, isn't optional.

"In New York, where I'm from, there are three paths you can go," Alkins said. "You can either be religious and love god, be in gangs and all that stuff, or get the opportunity to play (a sport), and fortunately I got the opportunity to play basketball."

Alkins played the New York City AAU circuit in middle school, but didn't really find his niche on the court until he was in high school. After a few assistant coaches from Christ the King High School in Queens convinced head coach John Arbitello to give Alkins a shot at playing for the prestigious program, the future Arizona Wildcat really found his game.

He blossomed into a five-star prospect and was ranked as the 21^st best player in the country by ESPN.com. His college choice came down to two schools. He could either stay with what he knew and attend St. John's University in New York City, or he could try something completely different and move to a part of a country he knew little about.

The pros of staying in New York were obvious. He knew the lay of the land, his family could watch him play without ever having to get on a plane and he could keep riding that L Train for as long as he wanted in a city he knew he loved.

The pros of coming across the country to play at Arizona were also there too. Among the very top, Sean Miller and the loyal, die-hard basketball fans of Tucson.

He paid close attention to the way Miller coached on a recruiting visit to Tucson and realized quickly he'd fit in well playing for Arizona's head man. He liked the way Miller was versatile in his coaching. If he needed to yell, he'd yell. If he needed to speak slowly and explain something, he'd do it. Alkins liked the versatility and how his future teammates responded to it.
 
All the while, Alkins couldn't get over the fans. He attended two games in Tucson as a recruit. He saw a win over UCLA and a loss to Oregon. The loss stood out to him more than the win.

"When they lost, it felt like the world ended," Alkins said. "Everyone was upset. It was great for me to see because Tucson fans really care about U of A basketball. I think every basketball player, if you could take the college atmosphere and pay them millions, there would be 15-year vets in college basketball. You're living an NBA life here. We're like the Lakers of Arizona. Everybody knows who you are and want to take pictures and meet you."

Of course, that happens more when you have the freshman season Alkins did. He played in all 37 games for Arizona this season, drawing 36 starting assignments. He played 28 minutes a game, averaged 10.9 points per game, became the first Arizona guard in more than 10 seasons to have multiple double-doubles with points and rebounds, and was an easy pick for the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.

He became a fan favorite early in the season and endured himself even more to fans when he played with an injured finger in the NCAA Tournament.

"I think the fans really like that I didn't give up after I hurt my finger in the tournament," Alkins said. "I think they just like tough players. Guys that won't back down and they can trust. That's my personality."

Indeed it is. Which is why Alkins had the option of turning pro after his freshman season and entering the NBA Draft. However, after a strong showing at the NBA Combine, Alkins decided to return for his sophomore season to bring some of that New York toughness back to Tucson for at least another season.

As one might imagine, the decision delighted Miller, who was proud of how his star went through the process.
"He loves the game; he lives in the gym," Miller said. "So I think another four or five months here before we even get started, it's just about him developing, so he's a better player a year from now than he is now. He has a healthy chip on his shoulder. He did a great job in the process. He had a trust in Arizona. Rawle was able to make this decision because he went about it the right away."

And now Tucson gets another year of their favorite New Yorker.

"In New York, when people stare at you, you're like 'what's going to happen? Something bad might happen,'" Alkins said. "Over here, if someone is staring at you, they just want a picture."