PROVIDENCE, R.I. — RJ Luis Jr.’s stellar junior season came to a frustrating end on the bench.
In the final 4:56 of second-seeded St. John’s disappointing 75-66 loss to No. 10 Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament’s second round, the Big East Player of the Year was sidelined. Luis struggled mightily, shooting just 3-for-17 from the field and missing all three of his three-point attempts, leading coach Rick Pitino to look elsewhere down the stretch.
Luis finished with just nine points his first time failing to reach double figures since New Year’s Eve at Creighton, which was also the Red Storm’s last loss at full strength.
RJ Luis Jr. was asked how frustrating it was to be on the bench at the end of St. John's' loss to Arkansas:
"Let my teammates down." pic.twitter.com/9YZZ2rthly
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 22, 2025
When asked about the decision to bench Luis, Pitino was blunt: “He was 3-for-17. He was 0-for-3 [from three]. You’re answering your own question,” the Hall of Fame coach said, while also refusing to criticize his player.
Before being subbed out for good, the 6-foot-7 guard forced a tough shot in traffic that didn’t even touch the rim, missing a chance to tie the game. On the next possession, he made two free throws, but moments later, he was taken out and never returned, as Arkansas pulled away.
A visibly emotional Luis took responsibility for the outcome. “I let my teammates down,” he admitted. “I should’ve been more of a leader. That’s on me.” He added, “Of course, everybody wants to play. Not being on the court at the end, not being able to help my team, that hurt me.”
Luis had an incredible season, becoming the first St. John’s player to win Big East Player of the Year honors since Walter Berry in 1986. He was also named the Big East Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. He shined in the NCAA Tournament opener, scoring 22 points and draining five three-pointers in a dominant win over No. 15 Omaha. But on Saturday, his shot simply wasn’t there.
“It feels like we didn’t do anything, really,” he said. “Losing like that, going out the way we did, it just sucks.”
Looking ahead, Luis has the option to return for his senior season at St. John’s, though he’s expected to explore his NBA Draft prospects. For now, though, the loss was all he could think about.
“It sucks. You can’t win them all, but we definitely wanted to keep going,” he said. “Nobody likes to lose. I’m just thankful for my teammates and the coaching staff for an amazing year. I think we accomplished a lot.”
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