St. John’s head basketball coach Rick Pitino made his bed, and now he and his Red Storm must sleep in it.
RJ Luis Jr., who Pitio publicly called out after a 3-of-17 showing against Arkansas in a 75–66 Round of 32 loss, has declared for the NBA draft and entered the transfer portal. Luis can still return to the team, but the New York Daily News’ Peter Sblendorio reports that St. John’s is going to have to “plan for a future without him.”
“Luis elevated his NBA stock this season, but there’s no guarantee he’ll be taken with one of the 59 picks in this summer’s draft. ESPN ranks him as its No. 72 prospect,” Sblendorio wrote.
“Either way, St. John’s must now plan for a future without him.”
Luis will have no shortage of suitors in the transfer portal. CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno reported Luis is expected to be “coveted” by many teams.
The Sporting News’ Gilbert McGregor linked him to Miami, Louisville, and Texas A&M. That second one is certainly of note.
Picking the Cardinals would certainly be an interesting choice that’d say a lot about how much bad blood there is between Luis and Pitino. The 72-year-old coach’s ties to Kentucky are too notable to ignore. Luis would be walking into a media firestorm, and possibly a good NIL payday because of it, at UL. Not to mention an NCAA Tournament team with a specific need for a player like Luis.
Wherever he goes, Luis is going. Queens isn’t in the plans for the 22-year-old.