Rick Pitino doesn’t mince words. He doesn’t sugarcoat decisions, either. When the Big East Player of the Year, RJ Luis, was having a hard time against Arkansas, shooting 3 for 17, Pitino benched him. Crunch time. Final five minutes. The game slipping away. St. John’s season unraveled in a 75-66 loss as Luis sat and watched. Fans were stunned. Critics were loud. Pitino? Unbothered. “He played 30 minutes,” he snapped at reporters, shutting down questions about fatigue or strategy. It was hard for Luis, as he was on a tear all season.
Luis owned his performance, admitting, “I let my teammates down.” But the fallout was brutal. After his worst game of the year, trolls piled on hate all over social media. The situation got so terrible that Luis deleted his Instagram account. And now? He’s leaving St. John’s, has entered the transfer portal, and is testing the waters of the NBA draft. Fans are now divided. One even wrote, “RJ Luis! Welcome to the loser list. Wow what a loser move that is.”
RJ Luis! Welcome to the loser list. Wow what a loser move that is. #collegebasketball #marchmadness #trasnsferportal
— Orange Juice Sports (@0rangejuicepod) March 29, 2025
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The post Calls Mount Against RJ Luis as Rick Pitino Draws Support From College Basketball Community After St. John’s Shocking Locker Room Fallout appeared first on EssentiallySports.