St. John's RJ Luis Jr. named to AP All-America second team
St. John's RJ Luis Jr. looks toward the basket during the first half of the Big East championship game against Creighton at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2025. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
The accolades and big moments for St. John’s RJ Luis Jr. just keep coming.
The 6-7 junior was tabbed for The Associated Press All-America second team on Tuesday. He becomes the first Red Storm player to make an AP All-America team since Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly Ron Artest, was picked to the 1999 third team. The last St. John’s player to be on the second team was Mark Jackson in 1987.
Luis is averaging 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds as second-seeded St. John’s (30-4) goes into Thursday’s West Region first-round game against 15th-seeded Omaha in Providence, Rhode Island.
This comes on the heels of a huge week for Luis, one he described as “the most emotional, happiest week of my 22 years of existence.”
Earlier this month he was voted unanimously to the All-Big East first team and then, last Wednesday, announced as the conference’s Player of the Year. He was St. John’s first Player of the Year since Walter Berry in 1986.
Then on Saturday the Red Storm won the Big East Tournament championship and Luis was named the tourney’s Most Outstanding Player. Afterward, he got a locker room visit from Berry.
“We’ve been waiting for the next one and [Luis], he deserves it,” Berry said. “He’s got a pro game. He’s going to the NBA. He’s just got to take his time a little bit more [but] he’s going to be a pro.”
Storm’s TV ratings soar
St. John’s first appearance in the Big East Tournament final since 2000 proved a popular draw for television viewers on Saturday night. The Red Storm’s 82-66 victory over Creighton at Madison Square Garden averaged 1.691 million viewers, according to Fox.
That made it the most-viewed Big East championship game since FS1 and later Fox began carrying the event in 2014 after the conference’s realignment.
With Neil Best
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.
