St. John's University Athletics
RJ Luis Jr. and London Jarrard Named BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award Winners
8/8/2025 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Softball
St. John’s men’s basketball All-American and BIG EAST’s Softball Defensive Player of the Year honored for academic and athletic accomplishments
QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John's standouts RJ Luis Jr. (Men's Basketball) and London Jarrard (Softball) were named BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award winners for their respective sports, the conference office announced on Friday.
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The Sport Excellence Awards are given to one student-athlete for each BIG EAST-sponsored sport based on academic credentials, athletic accolades or performances and volunteer service to the community. Student-athletes who have attained junior academic standing and a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 are eligible. The winners are chosen by the BIG EAST Faculty Athletics Representative Council.
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Luis Jr., a consensus Second Team All-American, achieved much success in the classroom, recording a 3.87 GPA as a sports management major. The Miami native was the first men's basketball player to win BIG EAST Player of the Year, The Dave Gavitt Trophy as the BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player and the BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award in the same academic year since Villanova's Collin Gillespie in 2022.
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On the court, Luis Jr. helped guide the Johnnies to a historic 2024-25 campaign capturing both the BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament titles, earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and finishing with a 31-5 overall record. The junior averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and tied for a league-best with 10 double-doubles alongside teammate Zuby Ejiofor. After signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, Luis Jr. was traded to the Boston Celtics earlier this week.
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One of the most decorated players in St. John's Softball history, Jarrard earns the honor after outstanding performance on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The Carlsbad, Calif., native logged a 3.81 GPA and graduated with a bachelor's of science in business analytics this spring.
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Jarrard ended her tenure in Queens as the program's all-time leader in career batting average (.370), doubles (56), and RBIs (165). During her senior season in 2025, the shortstop started all 57 games as the Red Storm tallied a program-best 38 victories and won the BIG EAST Regular Season Championship. The BIG EAST Co-Defensive Player of the Year led the Johnnies with a .404 batting average and set a single-season record with 56 RBIs.Â
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The Sport Excellence Awards are given to one student-athlete for each BIG EAST-sponsored sport based on academic credentials, athletic accolades or performances and volunteer service to the community. Student-athletes who have attained junior academic standing and a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 are eligible. The winners are chosen by the BIG EAST Faculty Athletics Representative Council.
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Luis Jr., a consensus Second Team All-American, achieved much success in the classroom, recording a 3.87 GPA as a sports management major. The Miami native was the first men's basketball player to win BIG EAST Player of the Year, The Dave Gavitt Trophy as the BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player and the BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award in the same academic year since Villanova's Collin Gillespie in 2022.
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On the court, Luis Jr. helped guide the Johnnies to a historic 2024-25 campaign capturing both the BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament titles, earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and finishing with a 31-5 overall record. The junior averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and tied for a league-best with 10 double-doubles alongside teammate Zuby Ejiofor. After signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, Luis Jr. was traded to the Boston Celtics earlier this week.
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One of the most decorated players in St. John's Softball history, Jarrard earns the honor after outstanding performance on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The Carlsbad, Calif., native logged a 3.81 GPA and graduated with a bachelor's of science in business analytics this spring.
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Jarrard ended her tenure in Queens as the program's all-time leader in career batting average (.370), doubles (56), and RBIs (165). During her senior season in 2025, the shortstop started all 57 games as the Red Storm tallied a program-best 38 victories and won the BIG EAST Regular Season Championship. The BIG EAST Co-Defensive Player of the Year led the Johnnies with a .404 batting average and set a single-season record with 56 RBIs.Â
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Players Mentioned
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