St John's should get a big boost now that RJ Luis is healthier
RJ Luis Jr. of St. John's Univ. shooting free throw in game against Holy Cross at Carnesecca Arena on Sat. Nov. 25th. 2023. Credit: Errol Anderson
RJ Luis is “stoked” for the rest of this St. John’s season.
Injuries have limited the sophomore guard to 34 minutes in two games, but it looks as if that’s about to change. When the Red Storm (8-4) play their final non-conference game at noon Saturday against Hofstra (7-5) at UBS Arena, Luis will play in back-to-back games for the first time, and he is hoping to put this injury-riddled episode behind him.
“I've been bored,” he said. “I'm just trying to go out there and play a sport I love. It's been a long, tiresome year, but I learned a lot out of it. The best thing you could do is, when you're put in a negative situation, trying to figure out the positive. That's what I've been doing and I'm just pumped to get on the court.
“Coming from the A-10 to the Big East is a big jump . . . The arenas are bigger, the crowds are bigger. The basketball is more competitive. So that's really fun. I'm just excited for all that.”
Luis returned from what coach Rick Pitino termed “shin splints” and came off the bench to play 18 minutes in last Saturday’s four-point loss to fifth-ranked Connecticut in Hartford. It was his first game since his Red Storm debut, the Nov. 25 win over Holy Cross.
But in the days after that first game, he felt pain in both shins and was sent for an MRI. He said it revealed “a stress reaction in my left shin” and a little bit of inflammation in his right one. He called the news “like another heartbreak.”
He explained that the St. John’s coaching staff and medical personnel “put a plan together. So now in practice I'm [partially] restricted in order to keep me good to play in the games.”
It could be a difference-maker for the Red Storm. The 6-7 Luis has athleticism that shows up on both ends of the court. In his two games, he averaged 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals despite very limited practice time with his teammates.
“RJ helps us defensively [and] offensively,” Joel Soriano said after the loss to the Huskies. “You saw how electric he was. I can’t wait until he’s fully healthy. We’re going to be very scary when he comes back.”
Luis wears a monitor to track miles he’s run during practices and he said his current maximum is 1.7 miles. He is being tracked carefully in games and Pitino even said to him last Saturday, “You can only play a couple more minutes.”
Luis, who also had shin issues last season while playing for UMass, likely will have his workload managed through the season to keep him playing. He also said the issue is being addressed with extra treatment and orthotics.
“The big thing for me is really just not trying to push myself too much,” he said. “[I have to] really just listen to my body and just try to get as much rest as possible.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.