RJ Luis Jr. Keeps His Name in the NBA Draft
Former St. John’s star player RJ Luis Jr., who was named Big East Player of the Year and was recognized as a second-team All-American, has decided to keep his name in the NBA draft, according to his agent, Sam Permut of Roc Nation.
Luis, considered the best player available in the NCAA transfer portal, received offers from 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 a notable improvement in defense and shooting ability. His best moment came at the end of the Big East season, scoring 28 points and 11 rebounds in the last regular season game against Marquette, and then, 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 named MVP of the Big East tournament, after leading St. John’s to win the regular season and conference tournament titles.Despite his outstanding season, 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 had a shooting percentage of 3 of 17 from the field and failed to reach double digits in scoring for the second time this season.
Pitino sat 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, with a 9-of-29 field goal percentage and 3-of-10 from the 3-point line.
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.
