RJ Luis Jr., a junior at St. John’s University, has just made history by becoming the first Latino player to win The Big East Conference Men’s Basketball ‘Player of the Year’ award. This award shows how well he did during the 2024-25 season.

Born on November 27, 2002, in Miami, Florida, Luis went to Christopher Columbus High School. There, he showed his talents by averaging 25 points and 11 rebounds per game as a senior. His impressive stats got him First Team All-State and First Team All-Dade.

Luis started his college career at the University of Massachusetts (UMass). During the 2022-23 season, he played in 27 games as a freshman, starting in 10, averaging 12 points and 5 rebounds per game. His performance earned him a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Freshman Team.

He was looking for better development and more competition, so he decided to transfer to St. John’s University for the 2023-24 season. In his first year, he played in 23 games, starting 10 and averaging 11 points and 5 rebounds a game. He hurt his hand, so that definitely slowed him down during his sophomore season.

The 2024-25 season was the turning point in Luis’s career. He led the team by averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds per game, playing a very important role in the team, helping St. John’s make the Big East Championship for the first time in 40 years.

Luis’s amazing performance helped him be selected as one of the finalists for the Naismith National Player of the Year award, showcasing his ability to perform in big games.