Following a tremendous season with the St. John's Red Storm, star guard RJ Luis Jr. decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal and NBA draft.
The decision comes after the junior won Big East Player of the Year, but was benched in the final 4:56 of the Red Storm's 75-66 loss to Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It was a controversial decision for head coach Rick Pitino that he caught a lot of heat for, but one that he felt he had to make due to the fact Luis was 3-of-17 from the field.
While Pitino likely would love for his superstar to return to New York next college basketball season, he sent a kind message supporting Luis' decision on Saturday.
"I've said it all season, RJ will make a terrific pro," Pitino wrote. "We all are rooting for him to make it!"
Luis will have a big decision to make regarding his future, as according to ESPN's NBA draft rankings, he ranks as the No. 72 player in the class. While he has yet to garner a transfer portal ranking, he is widely expected to be one of the best players available.
According to On3, Luis has a NIL Valuation of $1.3 million, which ranks No. 11 in all of college basketball and could increase dramatically if he returns to college for a final season.
Luis has until June 15 to withdraw his name from the NBA draft if he chooses to return to college.
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This story was originally published March 29, 2025 at 7:04 PM.