St. John's University Athletics
RJ Luis Jr. Named Sporting News Third Team All-America
3/12/2025 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
St. John’s wing and unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection averaged 18.1 points and 7.1 rebounds during the regular season
QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John's men's basketball standout RJ Luis Jr. was named Sporting News Third Team All-America, the organization announced on Wednesday morning.
The Sporting News All-America team is first to be announced of the four outlets that in aggregate determine the consensus All-Americans. The others are the Associated Press (AP), the U.S. Basketball Writers' Association (USBWA) and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
The junior took a huge leap in his second season with the program, averaging 18.1 points per game on 44.6 percent shooting, 7.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. The Miami native joins fellow first team choice Ryan Kalkbrenner as the only player in the BIG EAST to rank top-six in scoring and rebounding.
The wing has strung together three consecutive 20-point performances and is coming off a 28-point, 11-rebound outing in the overtime win at Marquette last Saturday. Luis Jr. has reached the 20-point mark 11 times this season and has scored in double-figures in 29 of his 30 games this season. In 16 games leading the Johnnies in scoring this season, the Red Storm hold an undefeated 16-0 record in those contests.
In conference play, Luis Jr. led the Red Storm to an 18-2 record and the program's second outright BIG EAST Regular Season title. The dynamic playmaker averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 boards across 20 conference games, ranking top-four in the league in both categories.
On Jan.11, the former UMass transfer became the first St. John's player to go for 30 in Madison Square Garden since Aaron Wheeler on Feb. 8, 2022 against then No. 15/15 Villanova. He poured in a season-high 30 points in an 80-68 victory over the Wildcats at the World's Most Famous Arena. During the win, he sunk 16 free throws, which ranks fourth-most in a single-game in program history and most by a St. John's player since Marcus Hatten set the program record with 21 in 2002.
A capable rebounder, Luis Jr. ranks second on the team and sixth in the conference averaging 7.1 boards per game. The 6-foot-7 wing has grabbed seven or more boards in 16 of his 30 contests this season. The junior ranks tied with Ejiofor with nine double-doubles on the season. Additionally, he ranks third on the team and 14th in the BIG EAST averaging 1.4 steals per game.
In the decorated history of St. John's basketball, 11 players have been named consensus All-Americans. The last was Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly Ron Artest, in 1999.
Luis Jr. was named a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection on Sunday and earned weekly honors throughout the season. He was recognized by the BIG EAST seven times, earning two player of the week awards and five honor roll nods. Additionally, the Miami native was tabbed a Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award finalist and a Naismith Trophy National Player of the Year Midseason Team selection.
Luis Jr. and the Red Storm will begin the 2025 BIG EAST Tournament presented by JEEP as the top-seed for the first time since 1986. St. John's will meet the winner of eighth-seeded Providence and ninth-seeded Butler on 12 p.m. on Peacock.
The Sporting News All-America team is first to be announced of the four outlets that in aggregate determine the consensus All-Americans. The others are the Associated Press (AP), the U.S. Basketball Writers' Association (USBWA) and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
The junior took a huge leap in his second season with the program, averaging 18.1 points per game on 44.6 percent shooting, 7.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. The Miami native joins fellow first team choice Ryan Kalkbrenner as the only player in the BIG EAST to rank top-six in scoring and rebounding.
The wing has strung together three consecutive 20-point performances and is coming off a 28-point, 11-rebound outing in the overtime win at Marquette last Saturday. Luis Jr. has reached the 20-point mark 11 times this season and has scored in double-figures in 29 of his 30 games this season. In 16 games leading the Johnnies in scoring this season, the Red Storm hold an undefeated 16-0 record in those contests.
In conference play, Luis Jr. led the Red Storm to an 18-2 record and the program's second outright BIG EAST Regular Season title. The dynamic playmaker averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 boards across 20 conference games, ranking top-four in the league in both categories.
On Jan.11, the former UMass transfer became the first St. John's player to go for 30 in Madison Square Garden since Aaron Wheeler on Feb. 8, 2022 against then No. 15/15 Villanova. He poured in a season-high 30 points in an 80-68 victory over the Wildcats at the World's Most Famous Arena. During the win, he sunk 16 free throws, which ranks fourth-most in a single-game in program history and most by a St. John's player since Marcus Hatten set the program record with 21 in 2002.
A capable rebounder, Luis Jr. ranks second on the team and sixth in the conference averaging 7.1 boards per game. The 6-foot-7 wing has grabbed seven or more boards in 16 of his 30 contests this season. The junior ranks tied with Ejiofor with nine double-doubles on the season. Additionally, he ranks third on the team and 14th in the BIG EAST averaging 1.4 steals per game.
In the decorated history of St. John's basketball, 11 players have been named consensus All-Americans. The last was Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly Ron Artest, in 1999.
Luis Jr. was named a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection on Sunday and earned weekly honors throughout the season. He was recognized by the BIG EAST seven times, earning two player of the week awards and five honor roll nods. Additionally, the Miami native was tabbed a Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award finalist and a Naismith Trophy National Player of the Year Midseason Team selection.
Luis Jr. and the Red Storm will begin the 2025 BIG EAST Tournament presented by JEEP as the top-seed for the first time since 1986. St. John's will meet the winner of eighth-seeded Providence and ninth-seeded Butler on 12 p.m. on Peacock.
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