The King is back! Rawle Alkins back in the lineup for Alabama if all goes well

After undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot, almost eleven weeks ago, the King, Rawle Alkins will hopefully be making his return to the Wildcat basketball rotation this Saturday against Alabama.

The King is back! Long live the King! Mr. Savage Life, Rawle Alkins, will hopefully be making his return this Saturday against Alabama if all goes well during practice. After undergoing successful surgery on his right foot, almost 11 weeks ago, Alkins looks to get his team to the next level and make a deep run in March.

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The timeline for his return was between 8-12 weeks and the announcement today of his return couldn’t have come at a better time. The Wildcats are currently on a three-game win streak, which includes a comeback win in overtime against the UNLV Rebels in Las Vegas and an upset of No. 7 Texas A&M. This team is feeling really confident now, and the addition of having one of the best players in the conference and country returning to the lineup is the cherry on top!

Leading up to his return, Alkins was always reminding his fans on social media not to worry. Even from a hospital bed, he knew how to Bear Down. What an amazing resilient guy!

On his road to recovery, you could tell how badly Alkins wanted to get back out on the floor to help his team. From shooting the ball on one leg during warms up, to dribbling the ball at half court, to taking part in shootaround with his team to even some ESPN Top 10 dunks, Alkins showed his teammates, coaches and fans he was determined to get back out there.

Before the Texas A&M game, Alkins had been cleared for contact, but coach Sean Miller decided to play it safe and keep him out for one more game. Today Wildcats fans finally received the news they were waiting for all season. Earlier today during Coach Miller’s press conference, “As long as Rawle can string two good days of practice today and tomorrow he will play against Alabama for the first time.”

Miller even pointed out that “he (Alkins) is in better shape, before getting hurt, body fat is down, weight is down and worked really really hard.” Must be that savage life work ethic! And reducing his body fat was something he needed to do according to get ready for the 2018 NBA Draft. So he can check that box off. Another box he can cross off just might be having a solid three-point shot. Check this out:

Alkins won’t be part of the starting lineup, according to Miller, but it won’t be long before No.1 from Brooklyn, NY will be back in the starting rotation.

What Alkins brings to the lineup is his overall toughness on both ends of the floor combined with the ability to shoot inside and out.  He is one of the leaders on this team, and relishes the challenge. His experience and understanding of what it takes to win, especially in close hard-fought games, is exactly what this team needs.

It will take a little bit of time for him to feel his team out when he is back on the floor but is clear how much his teammates love being around him! Alkins reminds you a bit of Khalil Tate in how his teammates enjoy his presence. The two were seen on Snapchat hanging out last week.

Last season he started in 36 of the 37 games Arizona played. He scored in double digits in 22 games, including a 20 point game performance against North Dakota in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. As only a freshman, he stepped up big time for the Wildcats.

Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 12/7/2017.

Another side of Alkins that in my opinion does not get enough attention his admiration he has for his coach. The relationship between a coach and player is important in today’s game of basketball where many players only stay one, maybe two years in college. Keeping it positive and having respect for one another is key to a strong bond. These two have that. And quite probably, Rawle can bring to the team what Kadeem Allen brought, what T.J. McConnell and other tenatious players have brought to Miller’s past teams.

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At Zona Zealots, we are THRILLED to have The King, Rawle Alkins coming back! Savage life has been missed, and we can not wait to see version 2.0. This season has just gotten a lot more exciting. Bear Down!