NBA Draft: St. John's Emerging as Big East Contender With Help From Three Promising Prospects

As key parts of the Red Storm's 9-2 start, RJ Luis Jr., Zuby Ejiofor and Kadary Richmond have made strong cases for themselves to be interesting upperclassmen in the 2025 NBA draft.

Nov 17, 2024; New York, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm guards Kadary Richmond (1) and RJ Luis Jr. (12) celebrate in the second half against the New Mexico Lobos at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

As St. John’s has gotten off to a strong 9-2 start and currently sits among the top teams in the Big East, the play they have received from a number of intriguing prospects has looked extremely promising. Following a dominant Big East opener with an 89-61 victory over DePaul, it seems they are a legitimate conference contender, with several prospects worth getting familiar with.

Let’s dive into three of their top prospects and break down how they’ve performed so far this season while raising their own draft stock.

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RJ Luis Jr. | Guard | 6’7” | 215 lbs | Junior

Nov 30, 2024; Queens, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) drives past Harvard Crimson guard Chandler Pigge (13) in the second half at Carnesecca Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

RJ Luis Jr. has taken a noticeable leap this season and has emerged as the most promising player on the Red Storm’s roster. Through his first 11 games, he has averaged 17.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks on solid shooting splits of 46.9%/30.6%/77.4%. With great positional size and a strong feel for both on- and off-ball play, Luis Jr. is able to score from all three levels, gaining attention due to his all-around versatility. His game rarely gets overly complicated, but he shows creativity frequently. His combination of positional flexibility and athleticism makes him a very intriguing prospect who is building a strong case to hear his name called in the 2025 NBA Draft.

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Zuby Ejiofor | Forward | 6’9” | 240 lbs | Junior

Nov 13, 2024; Queens, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) grabs a rebound in the first half against the Wagner Seahawks at Carnesecca Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Zuby Ejiofor has been a very impactful interior player this season and has shown flashes of even greater upside. So far, he has averaged 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1.1 steals and 2.5 blocks, with shooting splits of 59.3%/23.1%/69.2%. He has excellent instincts in the lane on both ends of the floor, but he stands out most for his combination of strength and athleticism, particularly in rim protection. Ejiofor has recorded at least one block in each of his games this season, including a standout performance in an upset victory over Baylor, where he added 22 points, ten rebounds, two assists and one steal. If he can develop a more consistent three-point shot as the season progresses, he could be highly valued by NBA teams.

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Kadary Richmond | Wing | 6’6” | 205 lbs | Senior

Nov 17, 2024; New York, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard Kadary Richmond (1) drives past New Mexico Lobos guard CJ Noland (0) in the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Kadary Richmond was regarded as one of the top transfers in all of college basketball ahead of this season, and although he got off to a somewhat slow start, he seems to be finding his rhythm. Currently averaging 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks, Richmond continues to showcase his well-rounded game. He has a solid frame with good athleticism, but the most promising aspect of his game is everything he can do with the ball in his hands. Whether getting to the rim, creating space for jumpers or setting up his teammates, these tools in his 6-foot-6 frame should make him a valuable asset in the upcoming draft. Despite coming off a fifth season and being an older prospect in this draft, he still looks like he has room to grow and could expand his value at the NBA level.

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