Louisville basketball: Transfer portal update. Who’s trending to the Cardinals? Vol. 7
By Jake Hook
RJ Luis – Guard – 6’7″ – UMass
RJ Luis may be ranked nearly 40 spots lower than Tre White on On3’s transfer portal player rankings, but I think his position and skill set make him a better fit for next year’s Louisville team.
That doesn’t mean the staff can’t land both, but if we’re choosing one or the other, I’m leaning toward Luis. Here are a couple of plays showing off his ability to get to the basket to score or create for others.
I'm not sure how RJ Luis' visit is going, but, man, I would love to get a guard that can attack the lane like this! He's got a great combo of size, skill, and quickness when driving to the basket. I'll have a full breakdown ready to go if he commits. pic.twitter.com/5d86dqe70t
— UofL Sports News (@UofL_Updates) April 20, 2023
Luis averaged just under 12 PPG, and 5 RPG and shot 46% from the field and 35% from three. Those are ridiculous numbers to put up for a freshman, especially one that wasn’t highly touted out of high school. Louisville was one of three schools Luis has visited over the past few weeks.
RJ Luis posts on IG pic.twitter.com/RucJU0sthO
— BaxleyRJR (@BaxleyRJR) May 3, 2023
It looks like it will come down to St. John’s, Texas A&M, and Louisville. The Aggies were considered the early favorite, but now On3 gives Louisville a slight edge over those two schools.
No timeline has been set on an announcement date for Luis, so I’m not sure how much longer this recruitment will continue. I think bringing the combo guard to Louisville would be a great fit.
He isn’t another point guard, which I think we still need, but he offers Louisville another ball handler, a player that can create for others, and a player that can shoot pretty well from three. Those are three areas that Louisville needs to improve on for next year.
Landing Luis and Mgbako to close out the transfer portal would have me feeling a lot better about next year’s roster.