RJ Luis Jr. granted court ruling clearing way to play for LSU basketball
BATON ROUGE - LSU men's basketball has received a major boost to its roster plans for the 2026-27 season after a Baton Rouge judge ruled in RJ Luis Jr.'s favor, opening the door for his immediate eligibility and return to college sports.
The former St. John’s star was granted a preliminary injunction Monday, allowing him to play for LSU head coach Will Wade while his eligibility case against the NCAA continues.
The ruling came nearly six hours after proceedings at the 19th Judicial District Courthouse.
Luis, 23, challenged the NCAA after the organization denied eligibility to players who have signed NBA contracts, even if they never appeared in an official NBA game.
Luis went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft before signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz. He was later traded to Boston, waived, and signed with the Maine Celtics, but never appeared in a G League game because of an injury.
He did play in three preseason games for Boston, scoring six points in seven total minutes.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey opposed Luis’ return to college basketball, arguing that players who leave for professional opportunities knowingly give up their remaining eligibility.
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Luis committed to LSU on May 19 after averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game during his final season at St. John’s. He was named Big East Player of the Year and earned second-team AP All-American honors.
The NCAA could still seek a stay of the injunction.