Every other week during the winter, Wings Academy’s Justin Jenkins, one of the city’s top seniors, takes us with him in his journey for a Division I scholarship and city championship. In this exclusive diary for NYPost.com, the multi-talented 6-foot-1 Jenkins talks about the Bronx borough quarterfinals, his preparation to take the SATs in March and where his recruitment currently stands.
I’m at home now relaxing watching college basketball. I just came from our game today. (Wings trounced Adlai Stevenson, 91-54, in the opening round of the Bronx borough playoffs.) It was good, we played well, had balanced scoring. It was a good way to start the borough playoffs. [Stevenson] may not be that good, but it’s a good way to get us some confidence going into the city playoffs and deeper into the boroughs.
I’m just worried about going to the city playoffs, trying to make a change from the last couple of years (when Wings lost in the semifinals). We play Mott Haven next on Thursday. I don’t know much about them. I heard they’re a good team, they have a lot of good players and they score over 100 points a lot. It should be a fun game.
[The borough playoffs] mean a lot. We’re expected to win. We have to step up to the plate and win the games we’re supposed to win. We’re worried about getting better and making a deep run in the city playoffs.
I went to the Fairfield-Niagara game with my mom [Sheila Jenkins] last Friday. It was good, I got a chance to see [Fairfield] play. They had a good crowd. It was a nice arena, I got a good feel for the team. It was a good feeling. My mother knows she doesn’t have to pay for college. It made me happy, because it’s like I’m doing something for her.
St. Francis College and Quinnipiac were at my game today. College of Charleston just called me to get back in the picture. I don’t have any visits coming up. I have to schedule more after I take my SATs. I’m taking them March 10.
I’m trying to become a better student. Not much is going on [otherwise]. I’m just focused on books and basketball. I’m taking SAT prep every Saturday. That’s coming along well. It gives me confidence when I take the test. I also have an SAT prep book my mother bought for me that I read a lot.
I’m not looking for anything special [in a college]. I’m looking for a good system that fits me and a place with a good education. If I don’t play basketball after college, I have to get a good education so I can take care of myself the rest of my life.
I watched the Giants win the Super Bowl on Sunday. It was a good game. I used to play football when I was little. I was a cornerback and a wide receiver. Then I started playing basketball and stopped playing football. I didn’t go to the parade. I’m not that much of a fan.
Check back with Justin Jenkins every other Wednesday during the season. His next diary will run Feb. 21.