Rick Pitino is trying to save face after RJ Luis Jr. sat on the bench during the closing moments of St. John’s disappointing upset loss to Arkansas in March Madness. It might be too little too late.
Can they mend their relationship prior to next season or was that the end of a very brief era? Only time will tell.
Luis, a former three-star prospect in the college basketball recruiting Class of 2022, began his career at UMass. He later transferred to St. John’s with the arrival of Pitino and averaged just 10.9 points in 21.2 minutes per game as a sophomore. His junior season was a huge step forward.
The 6-foot-7, 215-pound guard led the Red Storm in scoring with 18.2 points per game. Luis also pulled down 7.2 rebounds and dished out a few assists. He was named as the Big East Player of the Year.
Even though Luis was St. John’s most important player throughout the entire regular season and conference tournament, Pitino sat him on the bench for the last four minutes and 57 seconds of an NCAA Tournament loss to Arkansas. It was shocking.
However, up until that point, Luis made only three of 17 shot attempts and went 0-for-3 from beyond the arc. His stat line was the worst of the season his careeer. Nothing would fall so Pitino took him out.
The decision, while controversial, stemmed from poor performance. It just wasn’t his night.
When asked about the benching, Rick Pitino tried not to throw RJ Luis under the bus. He tip-toed around what he actually wanted to say. He implied what everybody already knew. A player who was not playing well did not deserve to stay in the game.
"He played 30 minutes and I went with other people."
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 22, 2025
Rick Pitino explained why RJ Luis was on the bench in the second half. pic.twitter.com/6zdbcZXb8f
Unfortunately, Luis became the scapegoat for St. John’s fans and bettors. The true third-year junior was forced to delete his Instagram because of the amount of nasty hate he received in his inbox.
And then it was announced on Saturday afternoon that Luis is officially declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft and also entering the transfer portal. If it does not seem like he will get drafted, he will return for his senior season of college basketball at a program to be announced. Louisville, Miami and Texas A&M are the early teams to watch. The list of suitors for the highly-coveted transfer will be lengthy.
Rick Pitino responded to the news with a short post on social media. It was his first post in five days.
I’ve said it all season, RJ will make a terrific pro. We all are rooting for him to make it!
— @RealPitino / X
I don’t doubt that Pitino is being genuine about his love for RJ Luis. I genuinely believe that he is rooting for his best player, statistically speaking. How could he not?!
I also think there is an ulterior motive here. St. John’s would obviously love for the Big East Player of the Year to run it back for his senior season. This post, while true, is also an attempt to mend their relationship. For Luis to leave as a transfer sure makes it seem like the March Madness drama had an impact on his future with the program. Maybe there is a chance that he returns if his potential soon-to-be former head coach offers a formal apology. I guess we will see.