By JAMES MADDEN
LSU forward and 2025 Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis has become temporarily eligible after he was granted a preliminary injunction by a Baton Rouge judge on Wednesday, The Advocate’s Toyloy Brown III first reported.
Luis, who has completed three years of college eligibility, declared for the 2025 NBA Draft after his junior season at St. John’s but went unselected and later signed a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz. A little over a month later, he was included in an official NBA trade where he was swapped for Celtics guard Georges Niang, all of which made him ineligible to return to college.
Highlighted by a breakout junior campaign, Luis appeared in 85 games across one season at UMass and two at St. John’s, averaging 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2 assists per game en route to winning the Big East Player of the Year during his junior season.
Two months after the trade, Luis was sidelined with an injury and was subsequently released by the Celtics on October 15. Despite never appearing in an NBA game, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and NCAA officials ruled Luis ineligible due to him signing a two-way contract with the Jazz.
“My client, Mr. Luis, felt that it was in his best interest to file this claim against LSU and the SEC because of the commissioner’s actions and the commissioner’s threat,” Louisiana attorney Clayton Abrams told Toyloy Brown III. “LSU may be intimidated by ‘Kim Jong’ Sankey, but we’re not.”
A hearing will be take place in Baton Rouge on Nov. 13th, which is 10 days after LSU’s first game, to determine Luis’ true future with the Tigers.
As of Oct. 28, Luis is immediately eligible and could be active for the team’s season-opener against LSU New Orleans on Nov. 3.
LSU head coach Will Wade has been the brunt of widespread criticism this offseason, as he’s heavily prioritized the recruitment of pros over transfers and high school recruits after leaving NC State to return to LSU in March.
“The reason why we brought LSU into the suit is because LSU is being threatened by Mr. Sankey,” Abrams said to The Advocate. “LSU is a great institution. Coach Wade is a good guy, a good coach, but both of them need to be forced to allow RJ to play basketball since he’s obviously qualified. And not have the threat of the SEC, which is threatening LSU. In effect, stopping coach Will Wade from letting this kid exercise his fundamental right to play basketball.”
It’s still unclear if Luis will be active for the Tigers on Tuesday, but the former Big East star will have the opportunity to make his LSU debut in the team’s meeting with LSU New Orleans in Baton Rouge.
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