We continue our 2013-14 team previews with a look at Christ the King of Queens, NY., the reigning state Federation Class AA champion. Throughout October, we’ll preview many of the top teams from across the country as a countdown to the release of our preseason 2013-14 Student Sports FAB 50.
Note: All information that follows came from a questionnaire that was sent to and returned by the school’s head coach. If you would like your school to be profiled, please return the questionnaire that was mailed out earlier this month or it can be filled out online.
The information can also be emailed to editor Ronnie Flores: ronnie@studentsports.com. StudentSportsBasketball.com thanks the programs that have submitted information.
Team Name: Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.)
Head Coach: Joe Arbitello (120-28)
2012-13 Record: 28-3, 22-2 (J.V., City Runner-Up)
Final Ranking: No. 20 (FAB 50) No. 2 (East Region)
Returning Starters: 2
Returning Lettermen: 8
Players Most Deserving of Preseason Honors: C Adonis Delarosa 6-11 2014 (All-City, St. John’s, Pitt, Rutgers offers), G Rawle Alkins 6-4 2016 (All-City, All-State, Villanova, Seton Hall, St. John’s Minnesota offers), G Andre Walker 6-0 2014 (All-City, Niagara, Wagner, Stony Brook offers).
Newcomers Who Could Make An Impact: Jared Rivers 6-0 2016, Tyrone Cohen 6-3 2016, Yashawn Bright 6-4 2016.
Coach’s General Outlook: We should be able to effectively score inside with returning starter Adonis Delarosa and junior Travis Atson and talented sophomore Rawle Alkins. We are a strong half-court defensive team. Our weakness is the senior class we lost. Despite the losses, I think we are good enough to be ranked as a top 30 team.
Events Scheduled To Play In: Stop DWI (Binghampton, N.Y.), Bass Pro (Springfield, Mo.).
Team(s) On Schedule Deserving of Ranking: Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.).
StudentSportsBasketball.com Comments: CTK was the second best team in the East last year (behind St. Benedict’s of New Jersey) and it won’t be easy to repeat a season that saw the Royals win the program’s third state Federation Class AA title. Coach Arbitello is concerned about graduation losses (seven seniors total), but it’s more a case of the quality than the quantity. State Mr. Basketball Jon Severe scored 40 points in a state semifinal win and he averaged 22.5 ppg. His clutch gene and big-play ability will be missed, so it will be up to the talented Alkins and Walker to step up. The Royals will win a lot of games, but it remains to be seen who will lead them in close games that are sure to come in CHSAA play. CTK could give its national ranking a boost with a good showing at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in January, where teams such as Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) and defending FAB 50 champ Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) are scheduled to compete.
Fast Fact: The last New York Federation team to win the FAB 50 mythical national title was Niagara Falls (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) in 2004-05. The only CHSAA team to win a National Prep Poll/FAB 50 title is now defunct Tolentine (Bronx, N.Y.) for the 1987-88 season. That team was led by the late Malik Sealy.
Send corrections or comments to ronnie@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment that others can check out.
RELATED: FAB 50 Consideration Form
2013-2014 Team Previews
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