St. John's University Athletics
RJ Luis Jr. Named Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Finalist
3/5/2025 3:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
St. John’s junior wing named one of the five finalists for national award
QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John's men's basketball star RJ Luis Jr. was named one of five finalists for the Julius Erving Small Forward of The Year award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday.
The junior joins Chad Baker-Mazara (Auburn), Cooper Flagg (Duke), Jaxon Robinson (Kentucky) and Ace Bailey (Rutgers) as the five finalists for the honor, which was established in 2015 and presented to the top small forward in NCAA Division I Men's Basketball annually.
Fan voting will begin on the Naismith Hall of Fame website on Friday, March 7 and the winner will be announced ahead of the Final Four.
Luis has taken a major leap in his second year in Queens, guiding No. 6/6 St. John's to an outright BIG EAST Regular Season title, the program's first in 40 years. The standout has started in 26 of his 29 appearances and logged 31.6 minutes per contest.
The Miami native leads the team averaging 17.8 points per game, which ranks fourth in the BIG EAST. Luis has scored in double-figures in 28 out of his 29 games this season, including 16 consecutive outings. The wing has posted 10 20-plus point performances and became the first Red Storm player to reach the 30-point threshold since Julian Champagnie on Feb. 18, 2022, with a 30-point night at Madison Square Garden in a win over Villanova on Jan. 11. The 6-foot-7 small forward is shooting at a 49.3 percent clip from inside the three-point arc this season.
In addition to his scoring prowess, Luis has provided a boost on the glass, ranking sixth in the conference in rebounding averaging 6.9 boards per game. He is one of two players in the BIG EAST to rank top six in scoring and rebounding joining Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner. The Johnnie has tallied eight double-doubles this season, which ranks second most in the league.
Luis has played an integral role in St. John's superb defensive efforts as the Red Storm ranks second in the country in defensive efficiency, according to the advance metrics of KenPom.com. Additionally, he ranks 12th in the conference logging 1.5 steals per game.
During his breakout campaign, Luis has garnered a slew of awards, including Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team, March Madness Player of the Week, USBWA National Team of the Week, two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week and two-time MET Player of the Week.
After clinching the regular season title on Saturday, the Johnnies will travel to No. 20/20 Marquette for the regular season finale at 12 p.m. on FOX.
The junior joins Chad Baker-Mazara (Auburn), Cooper Flagg (Duke), Jaxon Robinson (Kentucky) and Ace Bailey (Rutgers) as the five finalists for the honor, which was established in 2015 and presented to the top small forward in NCAA Division I Men's Basketball annually.
Fan voting will begin on the Naismith Hall of Fame website on Friday, March 7 and the winner will be announced ahead of the Final Four.
Luis has taken a major leap in his second year in Queens, guiding No. 6/6 St. John's to an outright BIG EAST Regular Season title, the program's first in 40 years. The standout has started in 26 of his 29 appearances and logged 31.6 minutes per contest.
The Miami native leads the team averaging 17.8 points per game, which ranks fourth in the BIG EAST. Luis has scored in double-figures in 28 out of his 29 games this season, including 16 consecutive outings. The wing has posted 10 20-plus point performances and became the first Red Storm player to reach the 30-point threshold since Julian Champagnie on Feb. 18, 2022, with a 30-point night at Madison Square Garden in a win over Villanova on Jan. 11. The 6-foot-7 small forward is shooting at a 49.3 percent clip from inside the three-point arc this season.
In addition to his scoring prowess, Luis has provided a boost on the glass, ranking sixth in the conference in rebounding averaging 6.9 boards per game. He is one of two players in the BIG EAST to rank top six in scoring and rebounding joining Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner. The Johnnie has tallied eight double-doubles this season, which ranks second most in the league.
Luis has played an integral role in St. John's superb defensive efforts as the Red Storm ranks second in the country in defensive efficiency, according to the advance metrics of KenPom.com. Additionally, he ranks 12th in the conference logging 1.5 steals per game.
During his breakout campaign, Luis has garnered a slew of awards, including Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team, March Madness Player of the Week, USBWA National Team of the Week, two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week and two-time MET Player of the Week.
After clinching the regular season title on Saturday, the Johnnies will travel to No. 20/20 Marquette for the regular season finale at 12 p.m. on FOX.
Players Mentioned
Guard/Forward
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