It’s the transfer portal story that swept the nation this week and Rick Pitino posted his brief thoughts on RJ Luis’ decision to leave St. John’s on social media Saturday night.
“I’ve said it all season, RJ will make a terrific pro,” he posted to X.
Luis is testing the NBA Draft waters but also entering the transfer portal after three seasons in college, two of which came with the Red Storm. Regardless of what he chooses to do, his time in Queens in over.
The Big East Player of the Year and Second Team All-American has been one of the biggest topics of the NCAA Tournament after he was benched for the final 4:56 of St. John’s loss to Arkansas in the Round of 32.
The UMass transfer was 3-for-17 from the field when he was yanked but had just made a pair of free throws to bring the Johnnies within two points. The decision left both Pitino and Luis at the center of a lot of criticism and controversy, which is still a talking point as the Elite 8 concludes this weekend.
“We all are rooting for him to make it!” Pitino added.
I've said it all season, RJ will make a terrific pro. We all are rooting for him to make it!
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) March 29, 2025
Oddly enough RJ Luis became the first non-graduating player to officially depart from the St. John’s roster this offseason.
The plan for Luis, who is repped by Roc Nation, is to go pro. It’s the first choice of the player and agent but if he returns to college a major payday will be waiting for him.
It has been very rare to see any mock drafts that have the 6-foot-7 wing being selected in the NBA Draft.
The NBA usually reveals its Draft Combine invitations in early May with the event beginning on May 11 this year. Typically, players have up to ten days after the completion of the combine to decide whether they wish to remove their name from the NBA Draft and return to school while maintaining eligibility.
It’ll be a busy six weeks for RJ Luis as he looks to impress NBA organizations while St. John’s fans hope he does make the leap to the pros instead of having to watch him next season play for a different school.