St. John's standout RJ Luis Jr. deletes Instagram after repeated social media harassment
St. John's standout RJ Luis Jr. deletes Instagram after repeated social media harassment
RJ Luis Jr. had a phenomenal 2024-25 season. Leading St. John's to its best season in decades and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, Luis was named the Big East Player of the Year and a Second Team All-American.
But Luis' season came to a disappointing end in the Red Storm's 75-66 loss to No. 10-seeded Arkansas in the second round. He shot just 3 of 17 in the final game of the season, and as a result, he was sent to the bench in the final minutes of the game by head coach Rick Pitino.
Following St. John's exiting the tournament, Luis was the subject of quite a bit of social media harassment, particularly from frustrated sports bettors who took his scoring props. As a result, he apparently deleted his Instagram account.
"To hear RJ Luis' social media was flooded w/such hate/negativity is a sad state of where we are/who we've become," St. John's radio announcer Brandon Tierney wrote on social media. "Attacking a young man over a bet? Wow. He is an absolute gem of a human. Everything you would want in a son + caring/engaged family. Some people truly are evil."
Luis, who joined Pitino at St. John's as a transfer from UMass in 2023, may not have played his last minutes with the Red Storm. He has another year of eligibility, and he isn't projected as an early pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
Whether Luis' college career continues in 2025-26, it's disappointing to see the harassment he had to face after the conclusion of such a prolific season.
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