LSU men’s basketball, led by coach Will Wade, just got slammed in a new SEC court filing, with their recruiting practices cited as further proof of the university’s “ongoing defiance” of league rules. This isn’t just about football anymore, folks, the SEC is making it clear they think LSU is totally flouting professionalism rules and failing to maintain institutional control, and they are not holding back.
The SEC Drops the Hammer on Wade’s Recruiting Tactics
The SEC’s latest court filing, submitted Tuesday, October 13, in opposition to LSU’s motion to dismiss the conference’s lawsuit, specifically highlighted Wade’s recruitment of former NBA player RJ Luis Jr. The dude spent two seasons at St. John’s and already signed professional contracts, but the SEC alleges he’s been practicing with LSU’s basketball team. And here’s the kicker: LSU has allowed him to practice, but has “refused to publicly and definitively state that he will not be included” on the official roster. Talk about a murky situation, right? Wade himself, speaking in a video interview for SEC Tipoff Media Days on Tuesday, Oct. 13, said Luis “hasn’t been rostered” and didn’t even travel for their exhibition against McNeese. He tried to brush it off, stating, “We’re going to follow all the SEC protocols with him. I think it’s been pretty clear what the SEC protocols all are on that.” But the SEC clearly doesn’t buy that commitment. They explicitly stated it was “notable” LSU “never” says they are “committed to following the Professionalism Rules, maintaining institutional control, or not interfering with the SEC’s First Amendment right of expressive association going forward.” If LSU *did* say that, the SEC argues it would “ring hollow anyway” because the university continues to “flout” those very rules. That’s a pretty damning accusation from the league itself.
Wade’s “Unapologetic” Strategy Under Fire
It’s not just Luis Jr., either. The SEC’s filing also points to LSU’s recruitment of “international professional basketball players” whose “eligibility remains in question.” Wade has gone full throttle with an “unconventional approach” to rebuilding LSU’s roster, openly pursuing players with professional experience. He’s navigating a minefield of eligibility questions under both conference and NCAA rules, and frankly, he sounds unapologetic about it. An ESPN article from September 23 quoted Wade saying, “We’re going to be unapologetic about it. This is who we are. This is what we’re doing. This is the path that we charted. We’re going to go down it, and that’s fine.” As of Tuesday, LSU’s online roster only lists 10 players, with more potentially available if they are ruled eligible. This whole legal battle, remember, kicked off with LSU football’s pursuit of former pros Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, neither of whom ever made the football roster. The SEC summed it up perfectly in their response, describing LSU as being “caught” with their “hand in the cookie jar” when it comes to arguing the case is “mooted” by deciding not to roster Wright and Harris. This entire situation is a high-stakes showdown, and it looks like it’s only just beginning.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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