NEW YORK, NY — With the announcement coming earlier this afternoon from the U.S. Basketball Writers’ Association (USBWA), St. John’s Red Storm combo-guard RJ Luis Jr. was named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List, a well-distinguished honor only 50 Men’s College Basketball players nationwide received.
The Dominican-Ecuadorian junior, of Miami, Florida, listed at six-seven, and 215 pounds, has continued to impress this season — averaging 17.5 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, 2.4 assists per game and 1.4 steals per game.
Shooting at a 45.5% clip on the year, Luis Jr.’s 17.5 points each time out is good for fourth-best in the Big East Conference currently, while his 6.6 rebounds per game ranks sixth-best.
Dominican-Ecuadorian RJ Luis Jr. underwent surgery on both of his shins this past offseason and has come out this year as double the athlete, leading on both ends of the floor for St. John’s – Image Credit: Tomasso DeRosa/Latino Sports
Speaking of the Big East, he is one-of-four players in the conference to be named on this year’s Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List, joining Villanova’s Eric Dixon, UConn’s Alex Karaban, and Marquette’s Kam Jones.
And as it goes for the Johnnies, Luis Jr. is the first player in program history to get listed for this prestigious honor since Joel Soriano in 2023.
“He’s doing a great job leading that team — not just playing for himself — but for his teammates, defensively and offensively,” Soriano, an active member of the Greensboro Swarm, the Charlotte Hornets’ G League affiliate, recently said of Luis Jr., a former Red Storm teammate of his from a year ago.
“He’s a great two-way player. His draft stock is rising for sure, so I hope they (NBA scouts) see that as well.”
RJ Luis Jr. has reached double-digits in the scoring column in 21 of 22 games this season – Image Credit: Tomasso DeRosa/Latino Sports
As the final watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy gets released in early March, with the official National Player of the Year award announcement set for the weekend of the NCAA Men’s Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, Luis Jr. will look to continue his dominant 2024-2025 season on the hardwood, while leading No. 12 ranked St. John’s (19-3 overall, 10-1 in Big East Conference Play).
“I’ve said this all along, RJ is one of the most gifted players I’ve coached,” St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino said of Luis Jr. following his 30-point performance last month vs. Villanova.
“You don’t see it as much, but he’s got great vision.”
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