St. John’s faces a major rebuild following the departure of RJ Luis Jr., the reigning Big East Player of the Year, Tournament MVP, and second-team All-American. Luis, who led the Red Storm to a 31-5 record and their first conference championship since 2000, will remain in the NBA draft, his agent Sam Permut of Roc Nation told ESPN on Wednesday.
As the top player in the NCAA transfer portal, Luis drew interest from bluebloods like North Carolina, Kansas, Ole Miss, Villanova, and Georgetown—programs now forced to explore other options after missing out on the star guard.
Red Storm Reload: St. John’s Prepares for Life After RJ Luis Jr.
St. John’s is entering a new chapter without Luis Jr., whose breakout season powered the program to a 31-5 record, a Big East regular-season and tournament title, and national relevance. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 43.9% from the floor and 33.6% from beyond the arc.
Luis saved his best for the most significant moments, delivering 28 points and 11 boards at Marquette in the regular-season finale, then posting 29 points and 10 rebounds in the Big East title win over Creighton.
BREAKING: Big East POTY RJ Luis Jr. will stay in the NBA Draft, per @GoodmanHoops.
Luis kept his name in the transfer portal in case of a return to college, but he is all in on the NBA. pic.twitter.com/pokURjPsL9
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) May 28, 2025
Luis, a Miami native who spent his freshman year at UMass before transferring in 2023, capped his lone season in Queens with Big East Player of the Year and Tournament MVP honors.
But after a rough NCAA tournament exit—where he went 3-for-17 and was benched for the final 4:56 of a 75-66 second-round loss to Arkansas—Luis declared for the NBA draft and entered the transfer portal.
At the NBA Draft Combine, Luis averaged 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists over two scrimmages, despite shooting just 9-for-29 overall and 3-for-10 from three.
The Red Storm also loses several other key players. Point guard Kadary Richmond, a senior leader, graduated after putting up 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Deivon Smith and Aaron Scott, both senior contributors, also move on, while underclassmen Brady Dunlap, Simeon Wilcher, Khaman Maker, and Jaiden Glover entered the portal.
Head coach Rick Pitino is once again turning to the transfer market. The additions include Joson Sanon from Arizona State, who averaged 11.9 points as a freshman and closed strong with nearly 19 points per game over his final five outings.
KEEP READING: RJ Luis Jr. and Jamir Watkins’ NBA Draft Decision Predicted by CBS Analyst Ahead of Withdrawal Deadline
Bryce Hopkins, formerly an All-Big East forward at Providence, brings 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, but must prove he’s fully recovered from a knee injury. Oziyah Sellers (Stanford) offers 13.7 points per game and three-point shooting. North Carolina freshman Ian Jackson is expected to take over at point guard.
With Luis gone, returning forward Zuby Ejiofor is likely to take on a central role as St. John’s looks to stay in Big East contention.
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