BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — RJ Luis’ status with LSU men’s basketball is resolved.
LSU coach Will Wade said Luis, a former St. John’s star who signed an NBA contract in 2025, would not play at the school.
“We’re going to follow all the SEC protocols with him,” Wade said during a virtual call during the SEC media day Tuesday. “I think the SEC protocols on all of this are pretty clear. He didn’t travel with us to McNeese and he wasn’t put on the roster.”
LSU beat McNeese State 63-60 Thursday in an exhibition at Townsley Law Arena.
CBS Sports reported on August 26 that the SEC had finalized harsh sanctions to penalize a program if it signed a player who signed a professional contract (and did not officially withdraw from the draft) in professional leagues such as the NBA, WNBA and NFL.
While awaiting information on the eligibility of several players, Wade said on September 23 that 15 players had been practicing with the team since September 2. Among them was Luis, who was granted a preliminary injunction on Aug. 24 allowing him to play college basketball.
A day later, SEC presidents, chancellors and athletic directors voted to establish rules preventing member schools from enrolling athletes who meet any of these three criteria:
Previously declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA draft, and did not “appropriately withdraw” from those drafts.
Signing a contract with an NFL or other professional league, NBA or G League, or WNBA or affiliated team.
Was put on a roster by one of these professional teams.
After going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, Luis signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz in June 2025 before being traded to the Boston Celtics two months later. Luis was waived by the Celtics in October 2025 before signing a deal with his NBA G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics. He was sidelined by the G League team before the start of the season due to injury.
Luis averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game at St. John’s during the 2024-25 season, earning Big East Player of the Year honors. He entered the transfer portal but did not commit to a new school, deciding to remain in the 2025 draft.
Eligibility of other players
Because Wade was unable to make it to media day due to fog in the Baton Rouge area, he spoke virtually to SEC Network broadcasters and reporters on a separate conference call.
In both interviews, he said he believed his other players would be cleared by the NCAA for this season.
“We have another scrimmage tomorrow (Wednesday), and we plan to have a few more guys tomorrow than we did at McNeese,” Wade said on the SEC Network. “We have a pretty good idea of who (became) eligible.”
Wade said there is “massive agreement” in the media about the state of LSU’s roster, but any of the players would say things are operating normally.
“We don’t care what other people say or what other people actually think,” he said. “We’re pretty sure about who we are and pretty sure about what we’re doing.”
Wade was asked why he is confident that a few of his players will receive favorable court rulings in their fifth-year eligibility cases, despite the NCAA’s recent “victory” in court.
A Kentucky eligibility lawsuit saw the Kentucky Court of Appeals dissolve the injunction that allowed some athletes in the Class of 2022 to play. An Ohio appeals court also overturned a preliminary injunction against more than 20 athletes seeking a fifth year.
“I just feel good about some of the information we have on the ground about certain things,” he said. “I want to warn you that some things are portrayed as victories and really aren’t, and people run with that. I’m happy with my information and we’ll see if we’re right.”
ULCA transfer guards Skyy Clark and Donovan Dent are the only LSU players to challenge the NCAA for a fifth year of eligibility. They are among more than 70 plaintiffs who won eligibility for a fifth season through a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit filed in California against the NCAA.
What will determine their eligibility for the regular season is a court hearing for a preliminary injunction on October 20. Dent, however, was among the players who participated in McNeese’s exhibition.
The four notable players who did not play but were present in McNeese’s presentation were 22-year-old Italian-Senegalese winger Saliou Niang, 23-year-old French center Brice Dessert, 24-year-old Israeli center Gilad Levy and Clark.
Wade said he would accept responsibility for any outcome that happens this season.
“I made the decision to do this,” he said. “If it doesn’t work, you can blame me. But we’re very confident in the group, and we’re very confident in the guys we have. With our full roster, we have a chance to hit in most games.”
LSU opens the regular season against LSU New Orleans on November 3 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Gn sports
