LSU’s roster picture has kept shifting all preseason, but one of the biggest names still isn’t in place: RJ Luis Jr.
That became even clearer Tuesday when Will Wade addressed the situation on Zoom during SEC Media Days and pointed to the league’s rules as the reason Luis remains in limbo. LSU had started the preseason with only four players listed on its roster for several weeks before adding six more after the first scrimmage against McNeese, including former UCLA guard Donovan Dent.
Luis, the former St. John’s standout, was not among them.
"We're going to follow all the SEC protocols with him," Wade said Tuesday during SEC Media Days. "I think it's been pretty clear what the SEC protocols are on all that. He didn't travel with us to McNeese, and he hasn't been rostered."
Luis committed to LSU earlier this offseason after declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft and going undrafted. He had been looking to get back into college basketball after not appearing in any regular-season NBA or G League games last season. He did, however, play in three preseason NBA games with the Boston Celtics after being traded from the Utah Jazz.
The SEC’s new rules are the hurdle here. Approved in August, the league’s penalty structure bars players who have previously declared for the draft or signed a professional contract from returning to college. It also carries a heavy punishment for any head coach who plays such a player: a ban for 50% of the season, plus a financial penalty equal to 50% of the sport’s operation budget.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has already weighed in on Luis’ case, filing an affidavit asking the court to uphold NCAA rules that stop athletes from returning to the college level. A Baton Rouge judge granted Luis a preliminary injunction, which cleared the way for him to play this season.
Even so, the situation is far from settled. With the way similar court battles played out for LSU on the football side earlier this year - when Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris tried to join the Tigers’ roster - there’s reason to think the basketball case could follow a rough path too.
LSU still has two scrimmages left, against UCF on Wednesday and again on Oct. 24, before opening the 2026-27 season at home against New Orleans on Nov. 3. At this point, all signs point to Luis sitting out those games as well.
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