RJ Luis Jr. Keeps His Name in the NBA Draft
St. John’s star RJ Luis Jr., Big East Player of the Year and second-team All-American, is keeping his name in the NBA draft, according to his agent, Sam Permut of Roc Nation.Luis was one of the most sought-after players in the NCAA transfer portal, being recruited by universities such as North Carolina, Kansas, Ole Miss, Villanova, and Georgetown, who will now have to look for other options to complete their rosters in this offseason.
The 6-foot-7 forward had one of the country’s most outstanding seasons, averaging 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, showing great improvement as a defender and shooter. His best moment came at the end of the Big East season, with 28 points and 11 rebounds in the last regular season game against Marquette, and 29 points and 10 rebounds in the Big East tournament championship against Creighton. In addition to the Big East Player of the Year award, Luis was recognized as the MVP of the Big East tournament, after leading St. John’s to the regular season and conference tournament titles.Despite his outstanding campaign, Luis’s career at St. John’s didn’t end in the best way. After scoring 22 points and hitting five three-pointers in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Omaha, Luis struggled in the Red Storm’s second-round loss to Arkansas. He went 3-of-17 from the field and failed to reach double figures in scoring for the second time this season.
Pitino benched Luis for the final 4:56 of the 75-66 loss.A week after that game, Luis announced that he would declare for the NBA draft and also enter the transfer portal. He was invited to the NBA draft combine, averaging 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in the two 5-on-5 scrimmages. However, Luis was inconsistent in shooting, going 9 of 29 from the field and 3 of 10 from three-pointers.
Luis, a Miami native, began his college career with a season at UMass before transferring to St. John’s in 2023. He averaged 10.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game during his first season with the Red Storm.
