Ex-St. John's star RJ Luis on cusp of NBA draft possibilities he once couldn't have imagined

New York Post

4 days ago

Four years ago, RJ Luis Jr. couldn't have imagined this.
Forget playing in the NBA. Even big-time college basketball was far from a given.
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Luis held just two Division I scholarship offers, from Northeastern and Lamar University. He didn't want to settle, so the Miami native opted to do a prep year at Mount Zion Prep in Maryland.
That's when everything changed.
'Once I went to prep school, I kind of made that jump and started to figure out myself and my work ethic,' he recalled in a phone interview with The Post. 'Everything just clicked. Since then, it's been a gradual [climb], improving and getting better as a player.
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'I wouldn't change it. The stuff that we go through in life is what makes us. It's just super cool to see all my hard work paying off.'
The former St. John's star is on the cusp of a professional career, a projected second-round pick in this week's NBA Draft.
He worked out for 18 teams and took part in the scouting combine in Chicago.
The past few months have been a whirlwind for the 6-foot-7 wing.
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3 RJ Luis Jr. handles the ball during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine on May 15,
2025
NBAE via Getty Images
In March, he became the first Johnnie to be named the Big East Player of the Year since Walter Berry in 1986. He led St. John's to its first Big East Tournament title since 2000 as the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
Afterward, he called it the best week of his life.
But the following weekend, second-seeded St. John's was upset by Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and Luis struggled through a nightmarish 3-for-17 shooting performance.
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He was benched over the final 4:56 by coach Rick Pitino.
3 RJ Luis Jr. shoots a three point basket during the 2025 NBA Draft
Combine on May 14, 2025 at Wintrust Arena.
NBAE via Getty Images
Luis declared for the NBA Draft and entered the transfer portal a week after that disappointment.
There was some thought he could return to school — top transfers were getting upward of $3 million — but Luis opted to stick with his initial plan of going pro.
'The money in the NBA is night and day compared to college. It wasn't a hard decision,' Luis said. 'My goal was to do the same thing at St. John's my sophomore year, but injuries held me back. I think I had an amazing year this year. [This was] ultimately the end goal, to play in the NBA and stick there.'
Luis has been a much-debated prospect in this draft. Teams like his athleticism, versatility and scoring ability. But his 3-point shot and decision-making need work. He will have the ball in his hands less frequently on the next level.
3 St. John's Red Storm guard RJ Luis Jr. reacts after hitting a 3-point shot during the team's opening NCAA Tournament game.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
'It's a tough thing, but he's gotta go from a star on his team to a role player,' an NBA scout familiar with Luis said. 'Tough transition, so he's probably going to have to get some G-League reps, and go from there. Be a consistent shooter.
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'Is he one of the best 75 draft prospects in this draft and is he one of the best 500 players in the world, where he should be on some kind of NBA contract?'
Said a second scout: 'He's going to have to make some modifications to his game. He's a two-way guy for sure, because he can score the ball. But he has to learn to score the ball on my terms, as opposed to his.'
Luis has been somewhat of a target since that Arkansas loss. He was criticized for that performance and later questioned for not cashing in on his last year of college eligibility. He's heard the doubters.
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'One hundred percent, but that's how life is. You're always going to have people rooting against you,' Luis said. 'I'm fully positive. I know the amount of work I put in.'
Luis has come a long way from those two Division I scholarship offers. His first season at St. John's was marred by injuries, a fractured left hand and nagging shin splints. He wasn't able to do much basketball-wise last summer following surgery on each shin, but still had a sensational junior season, leading the Johnnies to their best season in 25 years. If he is selected, he would become St. John's first player to hear his name called since Sir'Dominic Pointer (53rd overall by the Cavaliers) in 2015.
'It would be the same thing as winning the regular-season championship and Big East Tournament and getting a bid to the [NCAA] Tournament,' he said. 'To be able to leave my little bit of a legacy at St. John's, just make that fan base proud.'