NBA Draft: RJ Luis Jr. Flashes NBA Potential in Win over New Mexico

St. John's wing RJ Luis Jr. put the country on notice for a ranked St. John's program Sunday at the Garden.

Nov 17, 2024; New York, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) drives past New Mexico Lobos forward Mustapha Amzil (22) for a layup in the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

After recovering from multiple offseason shin surgeries, RJ Luis Jr. has been a force to be reckoned with four games into the season. The junior has taken a huge leap for the Red Storm, which has them ranked in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since the 2018-19 season. This team looks poised to make an NCAA tournament run under Rick Pitino, and Luis Jr. will be the guy opposing teams try to stop if that were to happen.

The 6-foot-7 wing had a challenging year last season that saw him rarely practicing due to pain in his shins, as well as a fractured hand during the preseason. Even then, he was tasked with guarding the opposing team's best player and providing energy for a St. John's team that came on too late in the season for an at-large NCAA berth. After a healthy offseason and no longer having to play through pain, Luis looks like a different player in his second season under Pitino.

On Sunday afternoon, St. John's faced a New Mexico team coached by Pitino's son, Richard, that had gotten off to a 3-0 start with a ranked win against UCLA. Luis had one of his best games yet, putting up 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists with only one turnover in an 85-71 win. He dominated on the boards and was hard to keep out of the paint scoring on cuts, post-ups, and drives to the rim. He showed his growth from last season in his vision making great reads passing the ball in the pick-and-roll and transition.

Arguably the most impressive facet of his performance Sunday was his defense against New Mexico's star guard Donovan Dent. Coming into the game, Dent had been averaging 19 points and nearly 10 assists per game on 58.8% from the floor. Luis, tasked as his primary defender, gave him trouble all game. Dent struggled to get going in the pick-and-roll and penetrating the paint due to Luis' unbelievable athleticism and strength. Dent finished with only 12 points (five of them coming when the game was nearly over) and six assists, well below his previous averages.

Though still early in the season, RJ Luis Jr. looks like an All-Big East First Team contender and has shown flashes of NBA potential. The wing has improved all facets of his game this year and looks like he will be the go-to guy for St. John's. His ability to guard all five positions at times and his knack for getting to the basket will continue to garner the attention of NBA scouts. The only thing holding him back is his three-point shot which has not been great so far (3-for-12), but mechanical adjustments made in the offseason to better the flow of his shot give reason to believe this can improve. Luis has another opportunity to showcase his talent to NBA personnel on Thursday as the Johnnies take on a talented Baylor team in the Bahamas.

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