{"id":144,"date":"2025-04-26T00:14:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T00:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/144\/"},"modified":"2025-04-26T00:14:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-26T00:14:10","slug":"st-johns-star-fully-into-the-nba-draft-right-now-after-painful-end-to-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/144\/","title":{"rendered":"St. John\u2019s star \u2018fully into the [NBA] Draft right now\u2019 after painful end to season"},"content":{"rendered":"

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — RJ Luis<\/a> says he\u2019s put the painful ending to his St. John\u2019s career behind him and is focused on the future.<\/p>\n

He hopes that future includes hearing his named called during the NBA Draft June 25-26 at Barclays Center.<\/p>\n

The 6-foot-7 Luis has declared for the draft and entered the transfer portal<\/a>. He is focused on the former right now despite not currently being projected to get drafted on most major mocks. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fully into the draft right now,\u201d Luis said Thursday night before he was given the prestigious Haggerty Award as the Met Player of the Year by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers\u2019 Association (MBWA). <\/p>\n

\u201cThe transfer portal is really just kind of like a backup plan, just weighing my options in case if I don\u2019t like anything that\u2019s going on as far as the draft. But I\u2019m definitely fully focused on the draft right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luis, who averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds en route to Big East Player of the Year and Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors, said he\u2019s not been in contact with any other schools about transferring.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I put \u2018Do Not Contact,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cMy agency [Roc Nation] is taking care of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rick Pitino was named Coach of the Year by the MBWA, but was not in attendance Thursday night.<\/p>\n

At the Final Four in San Antonio, he said he believes Luis will shoot up draft boards after he does workouts.<\/p>\n

\u201cRJ is not thinking at all about going to college,\u201d Pitino said<\/a>. \u201cOur goal from day one this year was for him to go to NBA. He\u2019ll go to workouts, and he\u2019ll move just like Donovan [Mitchell] did, and just like the other guys, he\u2019ll move up the ladder. He\u2019ll go from the second round, I think, into the late first round.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luis is currently working out in Miami and flew back to accept the Haggerty.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m back home working out with [Miami-based skills trainer] Ronnie Taylor and my strength and conditioning coaches, so we\u2019ve been getting some good work in just trying to work on my body because at the next level guys are a lot stronger, a lot bigger,\u201d Luis said. \u201cSo just really trying to be physically prepared, and also working out basketball twice a day, just trying to get my jump shot right from the three-point line, which is a big aspect of the NBA game today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luis said he hopes to do some individual team workouts before the NBA Draft Combine next month in Chicago.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s in the talks, trying to set up some [team] workouts before the Combine,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said he\u2019d love to get a first-round guarantee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, of course, I feel like everybody\u2019s dream is to go in the first round,\u201d Luis said.<\/p>\n

As for how his career ended at St. John\u2019s, Luis said he\u2019s put that in the past. Pitino did not play him over the final five minutes of the Arkansas game on a night when Luis shot 3-of-17 and struggled defensively.<\/p>\n

In a recent interview with ESPN\u2019s Stephen A. Smith<\/a>, Luis said he was \u201churt\u201d and that ” I think (Pitino) could…have did a better job… picking my head up.”<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m kind of past that,\u201d Luis said Thursday. \u201cNow, obviously, I\u2019m focused on the draft process. You can only control what you can control. I feel like everything is in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the ending to the season did not trigger his decision to enter the Draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was fully determined on entering my name in a draft this year,\u201d he said. \u201cObviously, after an incredible season that I had, that was always the main goal. And I felt like the entire coaching staff was also on board with that decision. And it was mutual.\u201d<\/p>\n

St. John\u2019s big man Zuby Ejiofor<\/a> is wishing his former teammate the best in the Draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoever gets him,\u201d Ejifor said, \u201cis going to be a really lucky team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.<\/p>\n

Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter and Basketball Insider for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria <\/a>and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n