Days after decision to stay in NBA draft, St. John's guard RJ Luis pens heartfelt note to Red Storm fans

St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr showed his love to Red Storm fans by posting a heartfelt letter on social media on Thursday.

Luis expressed his gratitude to the fans, whom he said treated him like family during the two seasons he spent with St. John's.

"From battling through shin surgery to winning a Regular Season and Big East Tournament Championship in front of a sold-out crowd in Madison Square Garden is a dream I'll cherish forever," the 6-foot-7 combo guard wrote on X.

Luis, who is of mixed Dominican, Ecuadorian and American descent, also thanked the Latino communities living in New York and pledged that he'll be proud to represent his heritage in his future endeavors.

The Miami, Florida-born guard thanked his teammates and the St. John's coaching staff, led by former national champion Rick Pitino, for pushing him to be a great basketball player and allowing him to showcase his abilities on the court.

"I am also incredibly thankful to all the amazing people I've met in St. John's and the relationships I've built on and off the court. Your kindness made St. John's feel like home," Luis said.

"I'm forever grateful and I will always hold St. John's close to my heart as a proud Johnnie."

Luis played for two seasons with the Red Storm after spending one year with UMass in his freshman year. He had a breakout stint this past season, where he tallied 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

He helped the Johnnies qualify for the 2025 NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed in the West Regionals. They beat Omaha in the first round but fell to the John Calipari-coached Arkansas 75-66 in the Round of 32.

Luis made himself eligible for the 2025 NBA draft and placed his name in the transfer portal, but he ultimately decided to keep his name in the draft, per his agent, Sam Permut of Roc Nation.

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RJ Luis Jr. spurns big-name programs in draft deadline decision

RJ Luis Jr. was one of the biggest names to enter the transfer portal this past season due to his breakout year with St. John's.

The 6-foot-7 guard had received interest from blue-blooded schools like North Carolina and Kansas, plus major basketball programs Ole Miss, Villanova and Georgetown.

However, Luis doused the cold water in the red-hot aspirations of these programs to acquire him after announcing he was staying in the draft. That left the schools looking at the next best options to complete their rosters for the 2025-26 season.

The St. John's star, who Red Storm coach Rick Pitino benched in the final 4:56 of the team's loss to Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, chose to stay due to his encouraging draft combine numbers.

He averaged 14.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 4.0 apg in two 5-on-5 scrimmages, though he had a 9-for-29 shooting clip (3-for-10 from 3-point range).

NBA.com predicts Luis could become a score-first sixth man in the mold of Max Christie, Norman Powell and De'Andre Hunter. But he could likely be a 3-and-D player like Raja Bell or Danny Green if he improves on his shooting.

The Red Storm guard is expected to be a middle-to-late-first-round to early second-round acquisition in this year's draft. This could allow him to play with winning teams like Boston, Phoenix, Orlando and Oklahoma City in the 2025-26 NBA season.