NEW YORK, NY — As the legendary Frank Sinatra once said:
“If you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere; it’s up to you, New York, New York.”
In the Big Apple of New York City, known as “The City That Never Sleeps,” RJ Luis Jr. became a star.
During his Big East Player of the Year award acceptance speech, RJ Luis Jr. thanked everyone who helped him get to where he his today – Image Credit: St. John’s Men’s Basketball
The dynamic two-way Dominican-Ecuadorian junior wing, a native of Miami, Florida, helping lead St. John’s to an outright Big East Conference regular season title, the program’s first since 1984-1985, was named the 2025 Big East Player of the Year Wednesday afternoon prior to the Big East Tournament kicking off at Madison Square Garden.
To become the first Johnnie to win the award since Walter Berry in 1985-1986, and just the third of all-time, along with Chris Mullin, a three-time Big East POTY, Luis Jr. averaged 18.1 points per game across 30 contests on the year, which put him fourth among scoring leaders in the conference, with 7.1 rebounds (sixth in the Big East). He also recorded 1.4 steals per game, 14th in the league.
“First and foremost, this is a great honor,” said an emotional suited up Luis Jr. after he received the Big East Player of the Year trophy in the Theater Lobby of MSG in front of hundreds of media members, his close friend, roommate and Red Storm teammate Zuby Ejiofor, many coaches, opponents, and most significant to him — his mother Maria, and two sisters, Rachael and Rylee, who flew up from Miami for his special day, as well as his father, Reggie, who lives in New York to remain close to his son.
The Luis family in attendance for RJ’s special day at The Garden – Image Credit: St. John’s Men’s Basketball
“A very big blessing, just knowing where I come from… I gotta give all the Glory to God for allowing me to play the sport that I love so much. He’s just given me so much resilience and perseverance to keep on going even when I have been looked down upon.”
Seconds later, Luis Jr. let out a deep breath, some slight tears, and followed up by stating, “Mom, I don’t cry…
Shout out to my family — my mom and dad, all the sacrifices that they’ve done for me to get here. It truly means a lot. Dad, thank you for everything. You truly are the blueprint, the one person that believed in me from the beginning, so I want to thank you for that. To my little sisters, I love y’all so much. Hopefully I’ve been a good big brother, and a great role model.”
RJ Luis Jr. with his family and loved ones – Image Credit: St. John’s Men’s Basketball
Leaving no stone unturned in thanking all who got him to where he is today throughout his BE POTY award acceptance speech, Luis Jr. praised his teammates, coaches, and supporters based in New York, including the vibrant Latin community.
“Like Coach P (Pitino) says, ‘when you play for the name on the front, the name on the back prospers,’” Luis Jr. stated. “I’m gonna take that with me till the end of my playing days. I’m just truly blessed to win this award.”
Rick Pitino was named the 2024-2025 Big East Coach of the Year while RJ Luis Jr. won the 2024-2025 Big East Player of the Year award. The last time St. John’s Men’s Basketball took home both honors in the same year came in 1986 with Berry (BE POTY) and Red Storm icon Lou Carnesecca, winning BE COTY – Image Credit: St. John’s Men’s Basketball
“To the whole St. John’s community, hopefully my teammates and I have been able to give you guys that fire back that you guys have been missing for so long. Really just trying to put on for the city of New York, for the whole Latin community, the Dominican and Ecuadorian community. It’s just a great surreal feeling to be here.”
“God bless and Go Johnnies!”
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