RJ Luis

[SLYFOXX1968]

This article is great! Really captures the "new" landscape of college basketball portal decisions. If you are a key player on team with remaining eligibility, and don't commit early to returning (e.g., Zuby), the team has to (or should) effectively move on from that player, as it must begin to budget and plan for the upcoming year. Very similar to Euro basketball leagues. One year contracts are rampant.

The CBS article seems to be a nice puff piece by a Writer that confuses opting for the portal by RJ as the reason he was pulled from the game .

There are other Articles out there that spin a different story .



Maybe the Mods ought to bulletin those continuing to bash RJ to desist with a warning too ? Just a suggestion .

It’s not a good look to bash our only BE POY in 40 years .

 

[ghostzapper]

I have not really read people bashing RJ, but if it is happening that is very sad to me. RJ was a huge reason for our great success this season and it makes no sense to go after him in any way. Could RJ be maddening at times to watch? Perhaps so, but it was completely outweighed by the many thrills he gave us and the brilliance of his play most every time he stepped on the court. His Big East player of the year award was well deserved and he will always be remembered very fondly for his phenomenal season in 2024/2025 by almost all of the fans of this program.

 

[lawmanfan]

The CBS article seems to be a nice puff piece by a Writer that confuses opting for the portal by RJ as the reason he was pulled from the game .

There are other Articles out there that spin a different story .



Maybe the Mods ought to bulletin those continuing to bash RJ to desist with a warning too ? Just a suggestion .

It’s not a good look to bash our only BE POY in 40 years .

Sly:

Why is it difficult for you to accept that:

1. RJ wants to go pro.

2. If he doesn't go pro then he wants to maximize what he gets out of NIL.

3. SJU isn't going to wait until decides whether he's going pro because

(a) the portal closes April 22 and the NBA decision won't come until mid-May

(b) they'd like to have a roster filled out long before then

(c) If RJ is looking for break-the-bank dollars if he comes back for NIL money, they'd rather deploy their budget differently.

Maybe the real insult here is that you think RJ, his family, and his advisors are immature and unintelligent enough that they would make a life decision based on (theoretically) hurt feelings as opposed to the practicality of weighing all of his options and trying to make the best decision between maximizing his earnings and his desire to go pro.

 

[Fizzy]

The 22nd pick of the 1st round gets paid 3mil. RJ hitting the portal will bring him in the same amount.

No way his draft stock goes down after another year of college and the draft is weaker next year.

Get paid RJ!

 

[bamafan]

Sly:

Why is it difficult for you to accept that:

1. RJ wants to go pro.

2. If he doesn't go pro then he wants to maximize what he gets out of NIL.

3. SJU isn't going to wait until decides whether he's going pro because

(a) the portal closes April 22 and the NBA decision won't come until mid-May

(b) they'd like to have a roster filled out long before then

(c) If RJ is looking for break-the-bank dollars if he comes back for NIL money, they'd rather deploy their budget differently.

Maybe the real insult here is that you think RJ, his family, and his advisors are immature and unintelligent enough that they would make a life decision based on (theoretically) hurt feelings as opposed to the practicality of weighing all of his options and trying to make the best decision between maximizing his earnings and his desire to go pro.

Portal closes late April only for going into portal not signing from the portal so really doesn’t affect RJ situation.

 

[Marillac2]

The 22nd pick of the 1st round gets paid 3mil. RJ hitting the portal will bring him in the same amount.

No way his draft stock goes down after another year of college and the draft is weaker next year.

Get paid RJ!

I think he can improve for sure, but I also see substantial risk for him not living up to this year. We had a point-forward that not only took a back seat to him, but set him up time after time. We had a 4 who didn't dribble. We had a two who barely shot the ball. Everyone deferred to him. Where is he going to get that kind of treatment again? He can't even get that here if he somehow returned.

There is also risk going pro. He's likely not going to be more than a two-way player next season and you really get one year to prove it in the G League at his age. Teams want almost finished products by 23.

 

[lawmanfan]

The 22nd pick of the 1st round gets paid 3mil. RJ hitting the portal will bring him in the same amount.

No way his draft stock goes down after another year of college and the draft is weaker next year.

Get paid RJ!

It's complicated. No question he will get a lot more in NIL this year than he will on a late second round / undrafted contract. But he has a lot of work to do to turn his game into an NBA game, and he will be very old by NBA draft standards next year.

Is he better off leaving the money on the table and getting 24/7 pro coaching geared to their game and getting in the mix before they look at his age as a bigger detriment than they do now? Or taking the money and assuming he can work on his game in college and get himself to the top of the second round, maybe sneak into the end of the first round next year? And if that's the plan, then he has to pick a school that will let him work on those aspects of his game (and help teach them) - in which event leaving St. John's might be a mistake.

Do not envy the analysis he and his people have to go through, balancing what he wants versus likely outcomes.

 

[lawmanfan]

No, Marillac and I do not consult one another before posting. Just getting that out there.

 

[room112]

I totally understand why Rick would not and should not wait (and that we won't want to meet his NIL demands). But how are other programs able to wait and we aren't?

 

[Marillac2]

Portal closes late April only for going into portal not signing from the portal so really doesn’t affect RJ situation.

Pitino had to make a decision on Sanon right away. I see Sanon as a 3 and I would think Pitino does too. I don't think you can have two players like that on the floor at the same time and expect to compete for a national championship.

 

[lawmanfan]

Portal closes late April only for going into portal not signing from the portal so really doesn’t affect RJ situation.

Yes, but Rick is not planning to be doing anything other than filling in the corners of his roster by the time you get to late May when RJ decides whether he's in or out.

 

[lawmanfan]

I totally understand why Rick would not and should not wait (and that we won't want to meet his NIL demands). But how are other programs able to wait and we aren't?

Somebody always strikes out early and has to overpay later for someone else

 

[joe49]

Could be all of our coaches between Lou to Rick.

Vinnie barbarino

 

[SLYFOXX1968]

Vinnie barbarino

You think Tony ( Travolta ) could play BB ? Like in Sat Night Fever ?

He had a good looking hook shot when he grabbed the ball on the street and threw it back to the kids in Bay Ridge .

Then again , looked like a doofus up at Bat in Grease.

 

[jackfro]

The CBS article seems to be a nice puff piece by a Writer that confuses opting for the portal by RJ as the reason he was pulled from the game .

There are other Articles out there that spin a different story .



Maybe the Mods ought to bulletin those continuing to bash RJ to desist with a warning too ? Just a suggestion .

It’s not a good look to bash our only BE POY in 40 years .

There is a difference between bashing and offering criticism backed by objective evidence. If you do not agree with the latter, then you are living under a regime that only allows propaganda to support its existence and positions. Tou might not like the criticism but you should not try to have it banned or, as you suggest, have a warning put on it regardless of who is being coitized. Surprised by some of the approval of your comments.

 

[bullpuckie]

The thing that bugs me the most about this is when people bring up the other players Pitino talked about in his press conference. He wasn’t leaving RJ out, he was trying to change the subject to talk about the seniors, meaning he also didn’t talk about Zuby. He thanked Kadary, Smith and Scott.

 

[TX Redman]

Someone wrote this comment on Jason Gay's Final Four article in today's WSJ:

"NIL, transfer portal, and coaching staffs designed to recruit extensively have changed college basketball. And it appears that the SEC is using its football money to dominate college basketball too. Mid majors have very little chance of being relevant when their best players leave. It used to be fun, now it’s business. "

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Marillac2]

Someone wrote this comment on Jason Gay's Final Four article in today's WSJ:

"NIL, transfer portal, and coaching staffs designed to recruit extensively have changed college basketball. And it appears that the SEC is using its football money to dominate college basketball too. Mid majors have very little chance of being relevant when their best players leave. It used to be fun, now it’s business. "

Couldn't agree more.

Mid-Majors have to raid the low-majors, JUCO, and D-2.

 

[monte]

You think Tony ( Travolta ) could play BB ? Like in Sat Night Fever ?

He had a good looking hook shot when he grabbed the ball on the street and threw it back to the kids in Bay Ridge .

Then again , looked like a doofus up at Bat in Grease.

That Travolta hook shot in SNF was almost as lame as the Deniro hook shot in Sleepers. No way either of those two balled growing up.

 

[MugCostanza]

Mid-Majors have to raid the low-majors, JUCO, and D-2.

Mid majors also need to pursue 4 star and high 3 star high school kids. Honestly there’s no reason for a kid like Jaiden Glover to ride the pine on a Big East team his Freshman season when he could play 25 mins a game at Hofstra. Deflates his long term NIL value as well