By @codyramseygamebreaknow

Coming out of high school (Mt. Zion Prep), Luis was a 6’7 195lbs, guard ranked as a three-star prospect. Not heavily recruited, he committed to UMass and Coach Frank Martin. In his first season at UMass, Luis started 10 games for the Minutemen and earned A-10 All-Freshman Team honors. While his numbers didn’t jump off the page, he averaged 11.5 points per game on shooting splits of 45.5/34.8/78.9. What stood out was his effort on both ends of the floor, averaging 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 stocks (steals + blocks) per game.

Looking for a change of scenery, Luis transferred to St. John’s to seek mentorship under the historic coach Rick Pitino. His season was delayed due to a broken hand in the preseason. In his first season at St. John’s, Luis was primarily utilized as a gadget player off the bench for most of the year, making 10 starts during his sophomore season. While he may not have turned many heads with his box score stats, his impact was felt when he was on the court, posting a BPM (Box Plus-Minus) of 3.0. Though his energy was consistently visible whenever he played, his style was chaotic at times and needed refinement.

Prior to the 2024-2025 season, Coach Pitino noted that Luis had been making great strides in his outside shooting, an area identified for improvement. Taking a more simplistic approach, Pitino sent Luis a video of Joel Embiid’s jump shot and told him to model it after Embiid’s technique. Luis returned with a new jumper, which looked “awesome.” This adjustment came after he shot just 20% from three-point range during his sophomore season.

Now, in the 2024-2025 season, Luis has quietly become one of the most impactful players in all of college basketball. As of January 7th, he has started 12 out of 15 games for the Red Storm, serving as the primary scoring threat and off-ball wing defender. Luis is attempting a high volume of shots (13.4 per game) and converting at an impressive 46.3% from the field. While his outside game hasn’t taken a significant leap yet, he feels more comfortable shooting from distance. Previously, he attempted only 1.7 three-pointers per game; this season, he is attempting 3.1 per game, converting at 23.4%.

Despite this, Luis remains one of the most impactful players on the floor for the Red Storm, averaging 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 stocks (steals + blocks) per game. While he might not yet be the most developed prospect, there are significant signs that he is making great strides in efficiency and refining his game to be more controlled with the increased usage.

Offensively: Luis has a promising offensive profile, showcasing a mix of strengths and areas for growth that highlight his potential as a more dynamic and efficient scoring threat. His most efficient play type is cutting to the basket, where he excels with an impressive 82.4% shooting on such attempts (PPP: 1.636). This ability to move off the ball and capitalize on passing lanes makes him a valuable asset in a fast-paced, ball-sharing system, where he can serve as a secondary or tertiary offensive threat. Luis also shows potential in transition, where he finishes 54.5% of his attempts (PPP: 1.0). While his PPP in transition ranks in the lower percentiles, his ability to score efficiently in these situations highlights his capacity to thrive in up-tempo systems, a key trait for modern wing players. Additionally, Luis has solidified his role as a finisher at the rim, converting 60% of his 105 attempts, with more than half of his shots coming near the basket. This ability to finish in traffic demonstrates good burst to the basket and an effective, high-percentage scoring style.

However, Luis’s offensive development still hinges on improvement in several areas. His ball handling and playmaking remain works in progress, as his assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.56 (AST%: 13.2, TOV%: 9.8) suggests room for better decision-making and composure, particularly when handling the ball in traffic. Reducing turnovers and improving his assist generation would increase his value, especially as a secondary creator or in transition. Additionally, while Luis shows volume in his three-point shooting, his efficiency from beyond the arc is currently a weak point, and improving this aspect will be crucial if he is to evolve into a “3&D” wing. A jump in his three-point percentage to around 38-40% would make him a significantly more dangerous offensive weapon. Luis’s spot-up shooting also needs refinement, as his PPP of .925 in this role ranks in the 48th percentile. Becoming a more reliable shooter in catch-and-shoot situations would complement his off-ball movement and further elevate his offensive contributions.

In sum, Luis possesses valuable skills, particularly in off-ball movement and finishing at the rim. To reach his full potential, however, he must focus on becoming a more consistent perimeter shooter and improving his ball-handling and decision-making, which would greatly enhance his overall offensive value.

Defensively: Defensively, Luis projects to be a solid wing defender with the length and speed to match. He complements St. John’s veteran backcourt, serving as a secondary point-of-attack defender alongside Kadary Richmond. Though he is primarily utilized against wing players in the Spot-Up role (35.9% of the time), he is also responsible for guarding the P&R Ball Handler (35% of the time). While he is still developing in this role, the exposure is invaluable, as he will need to guard multiple positions at the next level if he hopes to solidify a role in the rotation.

When guarding the Spot-Up man, he holds his opponents to 33.3% shooting, ranking in the 62nd percentile for points per possession (PPP) against. It’s important to note that when guarding the P&R Ball Handler, he ranks in the 13th percentile for PPP against. However, this statistic doesn’t tell the full story, as he forces a turnover percentage (TOV%) of 19.4% in this role. The low ranking may be due to his aggressiveness, which sometimes puts him in tough positions defensively. Though 16 games he has amassed 36 stocks (Steals+Blocks).

Where his defensive aptitude truly shines is in guarding Catch-and-Shoot attempts, where he ranks in the 88th percentile. This demonstrates that his length and aggressiveness have a significant impact on opponents’ shots. Like his offensive game, his defense is still unrefined, but there are clear flashes of projectable upside.

Projectability and Range: When looking a future projections for Luis, we can use stats to evaluate other players with similar statistical performances. He projects to be a “3&D wing prototype”, but has yet to have his shot fall from distance. Players with similar numbers include DeAndre Bembry, Jaime Jacquez Jr., Chris Duarte and Courtney Lee. While you can argue that these players never fully developed into a true star player, but served more of a role player in the league for 6-12 years of which. Most importantly looking at the draft stock, all were taken in the first round of there respective drafts. Considering his two-way potential and significant strides in the current season, Luis should be projected as a late first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. His combination of defensive prowess, off-ball scoring ability, and upside as a versatile wing defender makes him a compelling option for teams looking for a long-term contributor who can develop into a key rotation player. His high upside, despite areas for improvement, presents a low-risk, high-reward opportunity for NBA teams in need of a “3&D” prospect.