St. John's coach Rick Pitino says RJ Luis Jr. is ready to try the NBA
St. John's Red Storm guard RJ Luis Jr. dribbles the ball upcourt in the second half of a Big East men’s basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
St. John’s fans really should take in every moment RJ Luis Jr. spends on the court for the rest of this season. Coach Rick Pitino expects the 6-7 wing to make himself eligible for the NBA Draft when it’s over.
“I think RJ is ready to go, ready to be a factor in the NBA,” Pitino said Friday as St. John’s (15-3, 6-1 Big East) prepared to face Seton Hall (6-11, 1-5) at Prudential Center on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Asked if he is certain that this will be Luis’ final season with the Red Storm, Pitino replied, “In my estimation 100%, but that’s RJ’s decision.”
He added: “The NBA wants younger players . . . they think there’s more upside with the younger players. And I think that’s semi-true, but I don’t agree with it. I think you’ve got to get a guy that has potential and upside regardless of age. RJ is 21, I believe [he turned 22 in November, according to RealGM.com], but he’s got tremendous upside. His body, his shot, his game really lends to the NBA. So he’s got great, great upside regardless of his age. Anybody who takes a 19-year-old over RJ is crazy because of his upside.”
Luis, who is averaging a team-high 17.5 points plus 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists, has eligibility left. It’s possible that he could put his name in for the draft and work out for several teams before deciding to return to the Red Storm.
Pitino said that when he was at Louisville, he pushed Terry Rozier to go pro after his sophomore season even though the guard wanted to return.
“I’m for guys going,” Pitino said.
Kadary Richmond and Aaron Scott are in their final year of eligibility and there is an avenue for Deivon Smith to return for another season. Pitino suggested that all three, as well as Luis and sophomore Simeon Wilcher, could try to go pro after this season.
The game against Seton Hall holds intrigue because Richmond will be playing against the team with which he starred the previous three seasons. There is a good chance that Pirates fans won’t react well.
Richmond was not made available on Friday to discuss facing his former team, but Pitino sees the quietly confident guard shrugging off any harsh reception.
“I think being booed is something that he can handle,” Pitino said. “He grew up from the streets of Brooklyn, so I think he can handle it, being booed. He’s not going to cry.”
“I feel, of course, he’s going to rise to the occasion,” Brady Dunlap said. “But at the same time, I don’t think he’s going to go out there and try to have 30 or 35 [points] and compromise the team because I don’t think that he’s that type of player or that type of guy. I feel like he’s going to go out there and play his game . . . and do whatever it takes to win. I don’t think he’s going to get too overhyped for the moment.”
Richmond again will be the Red Storm’s primary ballhandler because Smith is expected to miss his second straight game with a right shoulder injury suffered last weekend in a collision with Villanova’s Wooga Poplar. Pitino said he still feels pain in the shoulder even after getting a cortisone shot on Tuesday and has not been able to practice or do most basketball activities.
Dunlap rejects surgery. Dunlap is going to try to make it back from a small abdominal tear this season with a regimen recommended by a Toronto Raptors trainer that will build up everything around the injury. The surgical option, suggested by two different doctors, would require three to four months to recover.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
